Also known as maize, the value of globally exported corn rose by an average 24.6% for all exporting countries since 2016 when corn shipments were valued at $29.3 billion.
Year over year, the value of corn exports expanded by 2% from 2019 to 2020.
The 5 biggest exporters (United States, Argentina, Brazil, Ukraine, France) generated over three-quarters (76.9%) of total international sales in 2020.
Among continents, countries in Latin America excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean sold the highest dollar worth of corn exports during 2020 with shipments valued at $12.4 billion or 33.9% of the worldwide total. Close behind in second place was Europe at 33.6% while 27.2% worth originated from shippers in North America.
Smaller percentages came from Asia (3.3%), Africa (2%) and Oceania (0.1%) mostly Australia.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for corn is 1005.
Corn Exports by Country
Countries
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of corn during 2020.
- United States: US$9.6 billion (26.2% of total corn exports)
- Argentina: $6.1 billion (16.6%)
- Brazil: $5.9 billion (16%)
- Ukraine: $4.9 billion (13.4%)
- France: $1.7 billion (4.7%)
- Romania: $1.2 billion (3.4%)
- Hungary: $1 billion (2.8%)
- Serbia: $644.6 million (1.8%)
- South Africa: $564.6 million (1.5%)
- Bulgaria: $497.5 million (1.4%)
- Russia: $395.2 million (1.1%)
- India: $389.3 million (1.1%)
- Myanmar: $382.7 million (1%)
- Paraguay: $322.3 million (0.9%)
- Poland: $322.2 million (0.9%)
The listed 15 countries shipped 92.7% of global corn exported in 2020 by value.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing corn exporters from 2019 to 2020 were: India (up 170.6%), South Africa (up 100.9%), Myanmar (up 61.7%) and Poland (up 33.9%).
Those countries that posted declines in their exported corn sales were led by: Russia (down -35.9%), Brazil (down -21.1%), Paraguay (down -19.4%), Romania (down -11.9%) and Ukraine (down -6.4%).
Advantages
The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for corn during 2020. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the surplus between the value of each country’s corn exports and its import purchases for that same commodity.
- United States: US$9.2 billion (net export surplus up 20.9% since 2019)
- Argentina: $6.1 billion (up 1.9%)
- Brazil: $5.6 billion (down -21.8%)
- Ukraine: $4.8 billion (down -6%)
- France: $1.4 billion (up 31.2%)
- Hungary: $897.1 million (up 25.6%)
- Romania: $861.8 million (down -28.1%)
- Serbia: $627.7 million (up 22%)
- South Africa: $528.6 million (up 254.8%)
- Bulgaria: $440.9 million (up 6.1%)
- Myanmar: $350.2 million (up 73.7%)
- India: $324.6 million (up 381.5%)
- Paraguay: $271.1 million (down -23.6%)
- Russia: $262.5 million (down -48.4%)
- Croatia: $189.5 million (up 62.8%)
The United States of America generated the highest surplus in the international trade of fresh corn. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms America’s strong competitive advantage for this specific product category.
Opportunities
The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for corn during 2020. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the deficit between the value of each country’s corn import purchases and its exports for that same commodity.
- Japan: -US$3.3 billion (net export deficit down -6.5% since 2019)
- Mexico: -$3 billion (up 0.4%)
- China: -$2.5 billion (up 136.3%)
- South Korea: -$2.4 billion (up 0.8%)
- Vietnam: -$2 billion (down -12.4%)
- Egypt: -$1.9 billion (down -2.6%)
- Spain: -$1.6 billion (down -16.5%)
- Colombia: -$1.2 billion (up 6.8%)
- Italy: -$1.14 billion (down -5.6%)
- Netherlands: -$1.09 billion (down -0.2%)
- Iran: -$1.09 billion (down -28.6%)
- Taiwan: -$888.5 million (down -9.3%)
- Algeria: -$832.1 million (down -3.5%)
- Germany: -$825.9 million (down -16.8%)
- Malaysia: -$788.2 million (up 0.3%)
The Asian island nation Japan incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of fresh corn. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights Japan’s strong competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for corn-supplying countries that help satisfy powerful consumer demand.
Companies
Corn Exporting Companies
Below are corn-processing conglomerates that represent large players in the global corn market. Shown within parenthesis is the country where the company is headquartered.
- Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. (United States)
- Bunge Limited (United States)
- Cargill, Inc (United States)
- Ingredion Incorporated (United States)
- Louis Dreyfus Holding B.V. (Netherlands)
- Mriya Agro Holding (Ukraine)
- SLC Agrícola (Brazil)
- Syngenta AG (Switzerland)
- Tate & Lyle Public Limited Company (United Kingdom)
- Vanguarda Agro (Brazil)
Searchable List of Corn Exporting Countries in 2020
The following 100 countries were responsible for 99.999% of total corn exports by value in 2020.
| Rank | Exporter | Corn Exports (US$) | 2019-20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | United States | $9,575,254,000 | +19.5% |
| 2. | Argentina | $6,078,000,000 | +1.9% |
| 3. | Brazil | $5,853,003,000 | -21.1% |
| 4. | Ukraine | $4,883,689,000 | -6.4% |
| 5. | France | $1,716,812,000 | +25.3% |
| 6. | Romania | $1,225,773,000 | -11.9% |
| 7. | Hungary | $1,026,241,000 | +19.3% |
| 8. | Serbia | $644,611,000 | +21.5% |
| 9. | South Africa | $564,615,000 | +100.9% |
| 10. | Bulgaria | $497,482,000 | +6.9% |
| 11. | Russia | $395,244,000 | -35.9% |
| 12. | India | $389,280,000 | +170.6% |
| 13. | Myanmar | $382,695,000 | +61.7% |
| 14. | Paraguay | $322,343,000 | -19.4% |
| 15. | Poland | $322,176,000 | +33.9% |
| 16. | Austria | $276,407,000 | +23.4% |
| 17. | Canada | $249,471,000 | +3.2% |
| 18. | Croatia | $225,172,000 | +41.9% |
| 19. | Netherlands | $217,913,000 | -16.4% |
| 20. | Germany | $148,991,000 | +8.8% |
| 21. | Slovakia | $148,169,000 | +39.4% |
| 22. | Turkey | $121,037,000 | -30.2% |
| 23. | Mexico | $117,440,000 | -49.6% |
| 24. | Vietnam | $116,057,000 | +112.9% |
| 25. | Spain | $94,641,000 | +20.5% |
| 26. | Chile | $92,358,000 | +41% |
| 27. | Moldova | $79,545,000 | -36.4% |
| 28. | Thailand | $70,704,000 | +7.6% |
| 29. | Uganda | $66,236,000 | +25.8% |
| 30. | Czech Republic | $58,074,000 | +66% |
| 31. | Italy | $54,965,000 | +8.2% |
| 32. | Slovenia | $54,267,000 | +13.5% |
| 33. | Laos | $48,317,000 | +55% |
| 34. | Lithuania | $44,954,000 | -4.8% |
| 35. | Belgium | $40,203,000 | -10.1% |
| 36. | Zambia | $38,809,000 | +3% |
| 37. | Mauritius | $27,714,000 | +131,871% |
| 38. | Portugal | $24,338,000 | -30.5% |
| 39. | Peru | $23,342,000 | -7.1% |
| 40. | United Kingdom | $21,813,000 | -44.9% |
| 41. | Ireland | $21,414,000 | +47.5% |
| 42. | Denmark | $18,663,000 | +85.6% |
| 43. | Australia | $17,466,000 | -23.5% |
| 44. | Indonesia | $16,516,000 | +1733.1% |
| 45. | Kazakhstan | $15,550,000 | -7.9% |
| 46. | Pakistan | $12,634,000 | -57.3% |
| 47. | Tanzania | $9,227,000 | -86.5% |
| 48. | Bolivia | $8,708,000 | +121.8% |
| 49. | Latvia | $7,041,000 | -17.7% |
| 50. | Yemen | $6,723,000 | +17.9% |
| 51. | Zimbabwe | $5,932,000 | +140.2% |
| 52. | Greece | $5,526,000 | +34.4% |
| 53. | Luxembourg | $5,316,000 | +24.9% |
| 54. | Belarus | $4,886,000 | +8471.9% |
| 55. | Philippines | $4,797,000 | +286.2% |
| 56. | China | $4,274,000 | -55.7% |
| 57. | Honduras | $4,175,000 | +47.6% |
| 58. | Malaysia | $3,419,000 | +109.9% |
| 59. | North Macedonia | $3,415,000 | -28.6% |
| 60. | Colombia | $3,322,000 | -17.4% |
| 61. | New Zealand | $3,212,000 | -78.2% |
| 62. | Ethiopia | $3,189,000 | 0% |
| 63. | Egypt | $2,620,000 | +38.8% |
| 64. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $2,029,000 | +63.9% |
| 65. | El Salvador | $1,773,000 | +191.6% |
| 66. | Costa Rica | $1,566,000 | +3,096% |
| 67. | Guatemala | $1,241,000 | +2.2% |
| 68. | Kenya | $1,106,000 | -82.9% |
| 69. | United Arab Emirates | $844,000 | -95.9% |
| 70. | Malawi | $771,000 | -77.9% |
| 71. | Iran | $722,000 | +365.8% |
| 72. | Suriname | $705,000 | 0% |
| 73. | Belize | $681,000 | -23.7% |
| 74. | Georgia | $622,000 | -35.7% |
| 75. | Cambodia | $492,000 | -29.1% |
| 76. | Sweden | $444,000 | -51.8% |
| 77. | Botswana | $398,000 | +91.3% |
| 78. | Singapore | $392,000 | -6.7% |
| 79. | Senegal | $338,000 | +89.9% |
| 80. | Norway | $337,000 | +66% |
| 81. | Kyrgyzstan | $308,000 | +280.2% |
| 82. | Israel | $259,000 | -60.2% |
| 83. | Mozambique | $214,000 | +269% |
| 84. | Haiti | $205,000 | +20,400% |
| 85. | Estonia | $185,000 | +302.2% |
| 86. | Switzerland | $171,000 | -78.2% |
| 87. | Jordan | $83,000 | -94.6% |
| 88. | Iraq | $79,000 | +163.3% |
| 89. | Montenegro | $72,000 | 0% |
| 90. | South Korea | $70,000 | -13.6% |
| 91. | Namibia | $56,000 | -47.2% |
| 92. | Taiwan | $48,000 | -36% |
| 93. | Nicaragua | $48,000 | -94.5% |
| 94. | Lebanon | $47,000 | -94.2% |
| 95. | Ghana | $43,000 | +59.3% |
| 96. | Madagascar | $42,000 | +10.5% |
| 97. | Tajikistan | $40,000 | +471.4% |
| 98. | Faroe Islands | $38,000 | 0% |
| 99. | Lesotho | $37,000 | -52.6% |
| 100. | Hong Kong | $36,000 | -63.6% |
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the above columns. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means no 2019 data is available.
See also Corn Imports by Country, Wheat Exports by Country, Soya Beans Exports by Country and Top Sweet Pepper and Chili Pepper Exports
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on June 10, 2021
Genetic Literacy Project, World’s largest corn producer sues Syngenta over Chinese rejection of GMO corn. Accessed on June 10, 2021
Hoovers, Company information. Accessed on June 10, 2021
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on June 10, 2021
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on June 10, 2021
Wikipedia, Category: Agriculture companies by country. Accessed on June 10, 2021
Wikipedia, Maize. Accessed on June 10, 2021
