In 2024, China experienced a significant drop in pea imports, with a decline of over 800,000 tonnes compared to 2023.

This drop reflects a reduction in demand, although peas are primarily imported in China for food purposes and animal feed manufacturing.

The country's imports are mainly sourced from Canada and Russia, with smaller quantities from other countries, such as the United States.

Despite this reduction in imports, China remains a leading importer of peas. The country's import figures showed a sharp decline in the latter part of 2024. For instance, in October 2024, China imported 244,532 tonnes of peas, but this dropped by 15% to 206,929 tonnes in November.

Canada remained the largest supplier, accounting for 117,086 tonnes, while Russia exported 77,837 tonnes. Imports from the United States were much smaller, at 9,643 tonnes.

Although official data for December 2024 has not yet been released, the ongoing trend suggests that the decline in pea imports may continue due to various complexities in the exporting countries.

This marks a notable shift in the global pea trade, with implications for major exporting countries like Canada and Russia, as well as for China's domestic agricultural sector.