Cryptos are Saving Trade Exchanges Between Russia and China!

Faced with growing restrictions imposed by the West, Russia and China are now exploring alternative ways to maintain their exchanges. As Chinese banks, once open to transactions in yuan, begin to close their doors to Russian payments for fear of reprisals, new methods are emerging.

Russo-Chinese trade tested by financial sanctions

Since international sanctions tightened their grip around Russia, commercial transactions between Moscow and Beijing have encountered unheard-of obstacles. The yuan payment system, once a vital channel for bilateral trade, is now largely paralyzed. Indeed, 98% of regional Chinese banks have stopped processing payments from Russia, fearing the consequences of secondary sanctions. This abrupt change undermines trade relations between the two nations, forcing Russian companies to explore costly and complex methods to bypass these restrictions.

Resorting to subsidiaries of Russian banks in China is one of these solutions, however, transaction fees can easily reach 5%, making trade still very expensive. This situation is prompting some economic players to turn to more radical alternatives like bartering, unfortunately, this practice is not suitable for all types of goods exchanged.

Cryptos: An emerging solution for Sino-Russian trade

Faced with this major challenge, another path is gradually imposing itself: the adoption of cryptos as an alternative to bypass restrictions imposed by sanctions and maintain trade. Since June, Russian metal producers have started using stablecoins to settle their transactions with Chinese suppliers. This adoption of cryptos allows to bypass the restrictions imposed by banks and secure exchanges outside the dollar-dominated financial system. This approach, although innovative, is not without challenges. The regulation of cryptos in Russia, recently strengthened, could both support and hinder this trend, depending on how authorities choose to apply it.

This growing use of cryptos in international trade is not only a response to sanctions but also a sign of the times. If this trend is confirmed, it could signal a profound reconfiguration of global economic flows, with implications that go far beyond the framework of Sino-Russian trade. The future of international trade could, in part, depend on the ability of these nations to integrate these new technologies while managing the associated risks.