Chinese sellers have become more active in trading Ozon and Wildberries.

According to the publication, 80% of orders from Ozon Global, which allows Ozon customers to buy products from abroad, are products from China. The press service of the FT site reported that they have registered at least 100 thousand Chinese sellers. Wildberries cooperates with China manufacturers and sellers since 2023.

On Chinese social networks, including the similar Instagram* service Xiaohongshu, more and more posts appear about the benefits of promotion on Russian platforms. The owner of one of these accounts told the Financial Times that he could register a company in Russia to operate in the local market for about 30,000 yuan (about 420,000 rubles).

Several Chinese suppliers told the publication that they are opening their own online stores in Russia. This process involves having an account in one of the local banks, paying for logistics services within the country and receiving payments in rubles.

According to the FT, sellers from China are filling the gap in the Russian market that appeared in 2022 after foreign brands left the country. Additionally, Russia has become an alternative source of demand for Chinese entrepreneurs after Western countries closed tax loopholes that contributed to China’s e-commerce growth.

According to Chinese authorities, the country’s e-commerce market grew 13% year-on-year in the first half of 2024 to reach a record 1.25 trillion yuan, accounting for 5.9% of total imports and exports during this period.

*Meta and its Facebook and Instagram members are recognized as extremist organizations whose activities are prohibited in the Russian Federation.