The EU increased its corn imports by 40% amid a drought-affected harvest / Deliveries from the US tripled

Corn imports into the European Union rose by 40% between July 1 and October 18, 2026, compared with the same period last year, amid a harvest severely affected by drought. Data published by the European Commission show that the EU imported 6.64 million tonnes of corn at the start of the 2026/27 season.

Supplies from the United States tripled, reaching 2.9 million tonnes, compared with approximately 900,000 tonnes during the same period in 2025. Ukraine nearly doubled its exports to the EU, to 1.62 million tonnes, while imports from Brazil fell from 2.74 million to 1.82 million tonnes.

The increase in imports is linked to demand from feed producers and the starch industry, following a European harvest estimated to be the weakest since 2000.

EU exports of soft wheat remained stable at 8.47 million tonnes. Romania was the leading exporter, with 3.68 million tonnes, followed by Lithuania, Poland, Latvia and Bulgaria. Meanwhile, barley exports fell by 41%, to 2.22 million tonnes. The European Commission said that some national data are incomplete.