CHINA DATA: Dec corn imports climb 44.2% MOM, wheat imports 65% lower at 3.89 mil mt

China's corn imports in December 2025 surged 44.2% month over month to 800,861 mt, rising for the third month in a row, customs data for the month showed.

The surge in imports occurred amid a continuing inflow of Brazil's Safrinha crop, although the total import volume for 2025 of 2.647 million mt was below market expectations, according to Chinese feed millers.

Brazil continued to be the primary origin of supply by delivering 588,202 mt, the data showed.

The rise in Brazilian corn to China was attributed to the harvest of Brazil's Safrinha crop that began in June 2024 and ran into September 2025, according to a Chinese feed miller source that had also expected total yearly imports to be 3 million mt.

The US continued to be absent from the Chinese market for the sixth month in a row, with several Chinese traders noting that import margins continued to favor Brazilian-origin corn.

S&P Global Energy CERA, in its weekly feed grains report Jan. 16, noted that corn import margins had risen by $8/mt to $81/mt week over week due to offshore markets weakening following a bearish USDA WASDE report.

Both USDA and China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) reported an increase in China's 2025-26 corn production estimate to 301.2 million mt in their respective January WASDE and CASDE reports.

These production numbers were brought into line with figures published by China's National Bureau of Statistics on Dec. 12.

Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, assessed corn CFR Northeast Asia up $1/mt day over day at $242.50/mt Jan. 19 for feed-quality corn arriving over April 19 to May 19 in Pyeongtaek, South Korea.

Table 1. China's December 2024 and November, December 2025 corn imports

Source: China Customs data

Wheat imports more than double on month on Canadian imports

China imported 562,938 mt of wheat in November, up 134.9% month over month and 305% year over year, customs data showed.

December data bring China's total wheat imports in 2025 to 3.89 million mt, compared with 11 million mt over the same period a year prior. Calendar-year imports of China in 2025 saw just 40% of the tariff-rate quota, totaling 9.636 million mt.

Canadian imports in December extended their gains since October, rising to 460,761 mt and boosting their market share to 69.5%. Australian imports rose to 90,201 mt, while imports from Kazakhstan and Russia saw decreases.

Canada's rise to become China's top wheat exporter was largely linked to retaining its annual export volume of at least 2.5 million mt compared to other major exporters, notably Australia, the US, and France.

China's appetite for Canadian milling wheat will likely continue in 2026, driven by more inelastic needs for high-protein grades that are challenging to grow on a large scale domestically, said two Asian grains traders.

"[Chinese] Inquiries for Canadian wheat have thinned for now, but they are likely just awaiting the issuance of new 2026 import quotas before returning to the market. I believe their demand for Canadian high-protein wheat should remain strong," added a Canadian wheat exporter.

The same source and several Australian wheat exporters noted that China has also returned to the market for Australian wheat, but that sales continue to pale in comparison to feed barley, where prices remain competitive against wheat thanks to a massive marketing year 2025-26 (October to September) crop.

At the same time, Asian market participants remain skeptical about a significant rise in US wheat exports to China, despite thawing trade relations between Washington and Beijing, citing firm US wheat prices compared to other origins and an increasing number of wheat exporters for China's picking, notably the approval of Argentina as an exporter.

Meanwhile, China's winter wheat crop is bracing for two potential cold wave events up to late January, with frost damage concerns looming over some late-planted crops in the north, based on a report published by China's Meteorological Agency on Jan. 19.

Platts assessed Australian Premium White wheat unchanged day over day at $248/mt FOB Australia on Jan. 19, while Australian Standard White wheat with no protein guarantee was assessed unchanged at $238/mt over the same period.

Table 2: China's wheat imports in December

Source: China's customs data