Russia overtook Brazil and became the main supplier of corn to China

Russia has become the largest exporter of corn to China, overtaking Brazil, Myanmar and the US. According to the Russian Federal Center “Agroexport”, in January-August 2025, more than 287 thousand tons of Russian corn were sent to China – three times more than in the same period last year (96 thousand tons). In monetary terms, exports increased 3.1 times – to $70 million against $22 million in 2024.

In total, in the first eight months of the year, China imported only 785.3 thousand tons of corn, which is more than 10 million tons less than a year earlier. This volume was one of the lowest in the last five years, as the average for this period was about 11.1 million tons. The decrease in imports is associated with high domestic production, accumulated stocks and weak demand against the backdrop of slowing economic growth.

Against this background, Brazil, which previously held a leading position, sharply reduced supplies: in June, imports of Brazilian corn to China were zero, and in the first half of the year amounted to only 245 thousand tons, compared to 5.76 million tons a year earlier. Ukraine also reduced supplies – from 106.5 thousand tons in May to 65.7 thousand tons in June, and in total since the beginning of the year it has exported 231 thousand tons.

Russia took advantage of the decrease in activity of its main competitors: in June, imports of its corn to China increased to 81.9 thousand tons, which brought the total volume for the year to 201.4 thousand tons, more than twice as high as last year. At the same time, imports from the United States have practically stopped – only 20 thousand tons in 2025, compared to 1.38 million tons a year earlier, which indicates the growth of political and trade restrictions between the two countries.

Before the start of the full-scale war, Ukraine was the main supplier of corn to China, as it is one of the largest producers of non-GMO corn, which corresponded to Chinese priorities at the time.

Tags: Russia, China, corn