China is increasing wheat imports this year partly due to increased toxicity in the corn crop — trader

China’s need to import wheat this year is partly because its record-high corn crop has high levels of toxicity. It needs to be blended with “clean” grain before being used as feed, one trader in Australia said, Reuters reports.

He estimated that Australia and Argentina should ship 1 million to 2 million tonnes of wheat to China in December and January, and about 5 million to 6 million tonnes by mid-2026.

Australia and Argentina exported about 620,000 tonnes of wheat to China in December, according to shipping data. Analysts and traders expect shipments to continue as Chinese buyers take advantage of low global prices.

But the volume came as a surprise to some traders and suggests that China is starting to ramp up wheat imports after two large domestic harvests in 2024 and 2025 that had previously reduced its import needs.

“We heard there was some buying, but this was a complete surprise,” said a trader in Australia, commenting on Australian supplies.

The December deliveries were not large enough to push up wheat prices. However, analysts said continued large-scale purchases by China in the coming months could reduce the global supply glut and support the market.

“We are definitely seeing China buying. Given the prices, Argentina and Australia are the main demand drivers at the moment,” said a trader in Australia.

Tags: corn, wheat, imports, grain quality, China