As China seeks to end food dependence, US corn heads to Europe

Beijing buying more staple crops from South American producers amid trade tensions

20250616N American corn

Steady supply and the disappearance of Chinese demand have weighed on U.S. corn prices.  © AP

TOMOYA TAKAYAMA

TOKYO -- U.S. corn, a mainstay of animal feed and bioethanol, is increasingly going to Europe, Japan, South Korea and other countries as China works to end its dependence on American-grown produce.

Demand has declined in China amid the ongoing tensions with the U.S., highlighting the relative affordability of the U.S.-grown crop. Political factors like the Trump administration's tariffs are also changing global consumption patterns. With the harvest to begin from around September, corn prices will come under even more downward pressure as supply increases.

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