Chinese Feed Grains Drive Surge in U.S. Sorghum and Australian Barley (US: CHS, CBP; AU: ABA)

Chinese buyers have significantly increased purchases of U.S. sorghum and Australian barley as domestic U.S. corn supply tightens. Over the past three months, about 45 cargoes—equating to 2.5 million metric tons—of U.S. sorghum have been booked, roughly three times the 2025 total. Since December, Chinese buyers have imported roughly 1 million tons of Australian barley per month, about double last year’s pace. Higher Chinese corn prices and the impact of heavy rains in northern China, which damaged the harvest and produced moldy kernels, have driven this shift. USDA data through January 29 showed 1.6 million tons of U.S. sorghum sold to China since November, with 1.259 million tons classified as unknown destinations. Prices reflect the shift: FOB sorghum at the U.S. Texas Gulf Coast rose 12.6% to $228.30 per ton, and Australian barley (CIF) climbed nearly 10% in three months. China’s national average corn price reached about 2,250 yuan ($326.02) per ton this week, up about 10% from a year earlier. Barley and sorghum are not subject to the 1% corn import quota, further supporting the trend.