🦀 Dataset: China Live Crab Imports from Russia

🦀 China Live Crab Imports from Russia Dataset (2015–2025)

Released January 2026

China’s imports of live crabs have expanded rapidly in recent years. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the subsequent U.S. ban on seafood originating from Russia, large volumes of king crab and other species that had previously been exported to the U.S. as frozen products were redirected to China as live crabs. The scale and speed of this shift have been remarkable.

This dataset is compiled based on official data published by China’s General Administration of Customs. It provides a clear, easy-to-read monthly overview of China’s imports of live crabs from Russia from 2015 to 2025, including import volumes, values, and average CIF prices.

In addition, the dataset includes a concise mini-report explaining how China sources live crabs from the Russian Far East, with specific geographic locations and supply routes described.

China imports live Red King Crab, Blue King Crab, Snow Crab, and other crab species from Russia. This dataset is designed for professionals engaged in crab trading, offering structured statistics along with proprietary insights from Minato News journalists specializing in the Russian seafood sector.

To mark the launch of the Minato News Data Station, this dataset is currently scheduled to be available for free download until the end of March 2026.

📦 What’s Included

1. Excel Dataset
China’s Imports of Live/Fresh Crabs from Russia (2015–2025, Monthly)
China’s imports of live/fresh crabs from Russia are estimated to consist almost entirely of live crabs. Data are aggregated for all crab species (no species-level breakdown).

• Volume (metric tons)
• Import value (Import USD)
• Average import price (USD/kg, CIF)

2. Trade & Supply Chain Mini-Report

• An explanation of the logistics routes from the Russian Far East to China, with specific regional names.
• Insights into how supply routes have diversified as volumes increased.
• Approx. 290 words (excluding headings).

👤 Recommended For

• Trading companies handling frozen king crab and snow crab
• Trading companies handling live king crab and snow crab
• Crab fisheries in the United States, Canada, Norway, and other producing countries
• Seafood consultants, analysts, and market researchers

💡 Why This Dataset Matters

• Save significant time on historical data collection and cleaning
• Quickly understand the supply routes behind China’s growing imports
• Gain insights from Minato News journalists covering Russia-origin seafood