BUSINESS

Chinese Sellers Turn to Russia’s Booming E-Commerce Market Amid U.S. Tariffs

Published: Jul. 16, 2025 4:05 a.m. GMT+8

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Inventory sits stacked on the shelves of a multi-level storage bay inside the Wildberries OOO distribution center in Podolsk, Russia, on June 15, 2020. Photo: Bloomberg

As rising tariffs and regulatory uncertainty cloud Chinese exports to the United States, a growing number of Chinese cross-border sellers are turning their sights on Russia — and discovering a surprisingly fertile ground for growth.

Russia’s leading online marketplace, Wildberries, has seen its Chinese seller base more than double since April, said Zhang Jianhui, executive director of Wildberries’ Shenzhen seller service center, in an interview with Caixin.

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Rising US tariffs have driven Chinese cross-border sellers to Russian e-commerce platforms like Wildberries, where Chinese merchants grew from 2,500 to 6,000 between April and late 2025.
Wildberries reported $50 billion in GMV in 2024 (up 60% YoY), holding a 47% share of Russia's e-commerce sector; Ozon and Yandex Market are also recruiting Chinese sellers.
Market appeals include low domestic manufacturing in Russia, new yuan/ruble payment systems, and a regional population of about 210 million, though logistical and returns challenges persist.

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Who’s Who

Wildberries: Wildberries, Russia's leading online marketplace founded in 2004, has seen its Chinese seller base surge to 6,000 as of April 2025. It boasts a 47% market share in Russian e-commerce, with $50 billion in GMV in 2024. Wildberries actively recruits Chinese sellers, offering solutions like "E-Ruble Pay" for yuan settlement to counter payment challenges.

Ozon: Ozon is Russia's second-largest e-commerce platform and began courting Chinese sellers even earlier than Wildberries, its main competitor. It facilitates cross-border sales by offering low entry barriers and localized support teams. One seller estimated that Ozon currently hosts over 200,000 Chinese merchants. Ozon also launched GEP, a local currency payment network, to address payment settlement issues for sellers.

Yandex Market: Along with other Russian e-commerce platforms, Yandex Market has established seller operations in China. It's actively targeting categories like electronics, appliances, and auto parts for Chinese sellers.

Amazon: The provided article does not contain information about Amazon. It focuses on Russian e-commerce platforms like Wildberries, Ozon, and Yandex Market, and their increasing engagement with Chinese sellers due to US tariff hikes and the absence of major global players like Amazon in the Russian market.

Temu: The provided article does not contain information about Temu. It mentions "budget rivals like Temu" in the context of global giants and budget rivals being absent in Russia, suggesting Chinese merchants have a competitive edge.

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What Happened When

2004：: Wildberries was founded, starting with clothing and now operating across Central Asia and several other countries.

2022：: Russia was excluded from the SWIFT system due to the war in Ukraine; this led Chinese banks to tighten scrutiny of transactions with Russia.

March 2024：: Wildberries began actively recruiting Chinese sellers through a strict whitelist with a minimum annual GMV requirement.

2024：: Wildberries reported $50 billion in gross merchandise volume (GMV), up nearly 60% year-on-year, with 20 million daily orders and a 47% share of Russia’s e-commerce sector.

2024：: Both Ozon and Wildberries faced payment bottlenecks with Chinese sellers due to payment settlement issues.

By December 18, 2024：: Wildberries opened registration to all cross-border sellers, moving past the initial whitelist.

Before April 2025：: Wildberries had about 2,500 Chinese merchants.

April 2025：: Wildberries held a full-scale launch event for Chinese sellers in Shenzhen.

After April 2025：: Wildberries had around 6,000 Chinese merchants.

May 2025：: An agreement between Washington and Beijing led to lowered tariffs on certain goods, but Chinese exports to the US still faced a 30% levy and the US removed duty-free for small parcels from China.

June 2025：: At the 2025 Global Cross-Border E-Commerce Festival in Shenzhen, Russia-focused sessions drew large crowds and highlighted Russia’s potential as a fast-growing e-commerce market.

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