EU barley exports fall nearly 40% at the start of the season

The EU exported around 1.7 mln tons of barley between July 1 and September 13, 2026, down 39.9% from the same period last season. A year earlier, shipments reached around 2.8 mln tons.

The main reason for the decline was a sharp drop in purchases by China. During the first 11 weeks of the season, China imported just 93.6 thsd tons of EU barley, compared with 872.1 thsd tons a year earlier. China’s share of EU barley exports fell from 30.8% to 5.5%.

The decline in Chinese demand amounted to around 779 thsd tons and accounted for nearly 70% of the overall drop in EU barley exports.

Saudi Arabia partly offset the loss of the Chinese market. Its purchases increased by 86% to 887.5 thsd tons, up from 476.8 thsd tons a year earlier. As a result, Saudi Arabia accounted for 52.2% of total EU barley exports.

Actual export volumes may be slightly higher than the European Commission’s preliminary figures, as data for France, Bulgaria, Ireland and Greece remain incomplete.

Tags: barley, EU, export