Last month, deliveries of French common wheat to countries outside the European Union reached the highest October figure since the 2014/15 season. Deliveries to China rose sharply after a quiet September.
French exports of common wheat to destinations outside the 27-country bloc amounted to 973,300 tons in October, the fourth month of the 2021/22 season, according to a first estimate based on Refinitiv loading data.
China was the largest non-EU destination for French common wheat for the second consecutive month with an initial estimate of 431,500 tons, followed by Algeria with 193,400 tons.
A ship carrying 65,000 tons of French common wheat, loaded in Dunkirk in October, recently left the Suez Canal with an unknown destination. The size of the ship and its course towards Asia suggested that it could be another shipment to China.
French barley exports outside the EU reached 288,100 tonnes, up from 372,600 tonnes in September and less than a third of the 909,900 shipped in August.
China again dominated the barley market, with October deliveries comprising 165,400 tons of feed barley and 60,700 tons of brewing barley for the Asian country. Another 62,000 tons of brewing barley were shipped to five other destinations.
French shipments are being closely monitored by traders this season as the figures for France in the official European Union grain export data are incomplete due to a technical problem.
France is the EU's largest grain exporter.
This month, the agricultural authority FranceAgriMer lowered its forecast for French common wheat exports outside the EU for the entire July-June 2021/22 season to 9.4 million tonnes, but this is still 2 million tonnes more than last season's total .
The total grain deliveries in October from French ports to all destinations - including barley, brewing barley, maize, waxy maize, malt and durum wheat - were 1.61 million tons, the highest level since the 2014/15 season.
The loading dates are subject to change and may differ from the monthly customs figures, depending on when ships are counted as leaving France.
Source
Hansa Terminhandel GmbH