Australian barley exports reach record 11.48 mln tons

Australia set a new barley export record, shipping 11.48 mln tons to international markets in the MY 2025/26, which ended in September 2026. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), shipments exceeded the previous season’s volume by 3.24 mln tons. The result was also 25.3% above the previous record of 9.16 mln tons, set in the 2016/17 season.

Feed barley accounted for the largest share of Australian exports, with shipments reaching 9.04 mln tons. Malting barley exports totaled another 2.44 mln tons. China remained the largest buyer, importing approximately 9.23 mln tons of Australian barley, or more than 80% of total exports. Other important destinations included Saudi Arabia, Japan, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates.

However, export activity slowed significantly towards the end of the season due to declining old-crop stocks and weaker demand from Chinese importers. In September, Australia shipped around 386 thsd tons of barley. Feed barley exports fell by 30% compared with August to 298.2 thsd tons, while malting barley shipments declined by 53% to 88 thsd tons. China accounted for 96% of Australian feed barley exports and 92% of malting barley shipments during the month.

According to market participants, the slowdown in shipments at the end of the season was expected and does not indicate a prolonged decline in export demand. New-crop barley shipments are already showing relatively strong volumes in November. Meanwhile, current production forecasts point to another large harvest, which could create opportunities for Australia to break its export record again in the 2026/27 season.

However, prospects for further export growth will depend on the price competitiveness of Australian grain. According to McDonald Pelz senior broker Sam Roache, barley export prices are currently well above year-earlier levels, while demand for the coming months remains relatively weak. Australian exporters may need to adopt more aggressive pricing strategies to market a potentially record crop, particularly given competition from other feedgrain suppliers.

Tags: Australia, barley, grain export