According to Bloomberg, at least two ships carrying tons of corn imported from the US had to wait for weeks before being docked on May 10th. Specifically, the Priscilla ship carrying 71,400 tons of corn has been anchored off Zhanjiang port in Guangdong province since May 11. Likewise, the Krini with 75,100 tons also had to wait from May 16th near Huangpu port.
As a quote from Bloomberg of one buyer, the transportation of corn his company imports from the US arrived in February, but it was not until a month later that the ship was unloaded at the port of Nantong in Jiangsu province. This caused the high cost of storing containers at the port that shipping lines charge to buyers.
After the 2019 African cholera outbreak, China witnessed a large increase in grain purchases. Specifically, in the first four months of this year, corn imports quadrupled compared to the same period last year, the amount of sorghum imported also fivefold as in April.
Feed mills are not the only buyers. The Chinese Government also imports corn from Ukraine and the US to replenish the national strategic stockpile, which is dwindling after years of continuous selling. According to the US Department of Agriculture, China is expected to set a new record when it is forecasted to import 26 million tons of corn by the end of next year.
Minh Ngo
