China has canceled unofficial subsidies on copper and nickel imports from Russia – intelligence
Photo: EPA

In September 2025, the Chinese government ended unofficial subsidies that helped state-owned companies import copper and nickel from Russia. About said Foreign Intelligence Service.

Previously, these benefits, in the form of discounts or fixed payments, compensated for logistics costs and gave Russian suppliers a competitive advantage.

This decision was part of China's strategy to optimize government spending and diversify import flows.

China is increasingly investing in copper and nickel mining in Indonesia, Africa, and Latin America.

In addition, the country's authorities are seeking to protect the domestic market from price distortions created by Russian metals sold at a discount due to Western sanctions.

The abolition of subsidies deprives Russian suppliers of an artificial advantage and will help stabilize prices for Chinese producers.

The decision comes amid a decline in Chinese imports of most Russian commodities in the first half of 2025:

  • oil – by 11%;
  • oil products – by 28%;
  • liquefied gas – by 13%;
  • wood and coal – by 10%.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, this is a serious blow to Russian companies: the competitiveness of their metals in China will decrease, and the profits of the largest producers, including Norilsk Nickel and Rusal, may be significantly reduced.