Russian Wheat Bran Pellets for Export to China: Protocol, Specs, and Logistics

The Russia–China protocol on wheat bran, updated on 10 November 2026, formalised what buyers on both sides of the border had been waiting for: a clear phytosanitary framework under which Russian wheat bran can enter China legally and predictably. For Chinese feed millers and integrators, granulated Russian bran is now a supply line that can be planned, contracted, and repeated. This article explains what the protocol means in practice, what specifications to write into a contract, and how the product actually moves.

The GACC protocol: what changed and why it matters

The General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) requires that plant-derived feed materials enter under an agreed bilateral protocol. The updated wheat bran protocol (2026-11-10) sets the phytosanitary conditions — pest lists, treatment and inspection expectations, and documentation — under which Russian bran clears Chinese customs.

The practical consequences for a buyer:

• Predictable clearance. Shipments move against a defined ruleset rather than case-by-case discretion.
• Accredited supply chain. Product must originate from establishments recognised for export; buying from an accredited exporter removes registration risk from the transaction.
• Repeatable contracts. Once the first lot clears, subsequent rail lots follow the same documented path.

JSC Tabunsky Elevator ("Grana") is an accredited exporter operating a full-cycle Altai mill, which means the quality & export chain — from grain intake to certified shipment — sits under one roof.

Why pellets (granulated bran) rather than loose meal

Loose bran is bulky, dusty, and prone to segregation in transit. Granulation solves the logistics economics:

• Higher bulk density — more tonnes per railcar or big-bag, lowering freight cost per tonne.
• Free-flowing, low-dust handling at both loading and destination.
• Storage stability — pellets resist caking and are easier to meter into compound feed lines.

For a cross-border rail movement of several thousand kilometres, density is not a detail — it is the difference between a competitive landed price and an uncompetitive one.

Product specifications to put in the contract

Granulated wheat bran is a by-product of milling; its value in a ration comes from fibre, residual protein, and energy. Typical contract parameters to specify:

Parameter	Typical basis
Product	Granulated (pelleted) wheat bran
Moisture	Contract maximum (commonly ≤ 12–13%)
Crude protein	Declared on certificate of analysis
Crude fibre	Declared on certificate of analysis
Foreign matter / admixture	Contract maximum
Pellet form	Granules for feed use
Origin	Altai, Russian Federation

Always agree the certificate of analysis, phytosanitary certificate, and inspection point in the contract. Exact guaranteed values are set per lot on the certificate — ask for a current specification sheet rather than relying on generic ranges. See the full wheat bran product page for current offerings.

Packaging and lot sizes

Grana supplies granulated wheat bran in the formats international buyers actually order:

• 40 kg bags — for buyers who need palletised, stackable units or smaller trial volumes.
• Big-bags (FIBC) — the standard for bulk feed-plant intake, one-tonne-class units for fast unloading.
• Rail lots — full-railcar and multi-car volumes for programme buyers running continuous rations.

A first order can start with big-bags to validate quality and handling, then scale to rail lots once the supply relationship is proven.

Logistics: the Altai advantage

Tabuny sits in Altai Krai on the Kazakhstan border, which shortens the logistics leg into the CIS and onward to China. For a Chinese buyer this means:

1. Short first leg to the frontier, reducing inland Russian haul.
2. Established rail corridors through Kazakhstan toward Chinese entry points.
3. Full-carload economics — granulated product loaded at densities that make rail freight work over long distances.

Because Grana is a full-cycle mill, the bran is a fresh, consistent by-product of ongoing flour and feed products production — not a spot-market aggregation of mixed origins.

Tariff context

Wheat bran and flour enter China at a 0% import duty, while feed grain faces quota and duty. That structural arbitrage is a core reason processed products like bran and feed flour are commercially attractive versus raw grain — explored in detail in our companion article on feed-flour tariff arbitrage.

How to start

If you are a feed miller, integrator, or trading house sourcing under the updated GACC wheat bran protocol, the next step is simple. Send your target volume, packaging (40 kg / big-bag / rail lot), and delivery basis, and request a current specification and certificate of analysis.

To begin, leave a request via the form on the site. For direct correspondence, write to sale@tab.grana.ru.

Related reading: wheat bran · feed products · wheat flour · quality & export.