Export

July barley, sorghum exports to China down 72pc on year: ABS

Liz Wells, September 23, 2019

AUSTRALIA shipped a total of 77,558 tonnes of barley and sorghum to China in July, 72 per cent down on the tonnage shipped in July last year, according to the latest export data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Figures show Australia has shipped no feed barley to China since April.

Trade sources have said this reflects China’s ongoing anti-dumping investigation into historic Australian barley pricing, and competitive exports of new-crop European and Black Sea barley.

In July 2018, Australia had a much larger export surplus of barley and sorghum than it has this year, and it shipped 92,593t of malting barley, 65,917t  of feed barley and 118,399t of sorghum, or 276,909t in total, to China.

Japan was Australia’s biggest combined barley buyer for July 2019, taking 6180t of malting and 98,870t of feed.

Shipping stems for Australia’s major ports indicate Australia has all but stopped exports of current-crop barley, with vessels booked to load in South and Western Australia likely to be coming to eastern Australia.

Bulk sorghum shipments also look to have stopped for the year, as the domestic market’s drought-induced premium over export parity continues to keep tonnage away from overseas markets.

MALTING May June July Tonnes
China 50357 53434 62350 166140
Japan 0 0 6180 6180
Malaysia 175 159 154 488
Singapore 0 0 0 0
Thailand 0 392 217 609
Vietnam 1458 1868 12164 15491
TOTAL 51990 55853 81065 188908

Table 1: ABS malting barley export data for May, June and July 2019.

FEED May June July Tonnes
French Polynesia 0 0 46 46
Hong Kong 18 0 0 18
Japan 127380 50900 98870 277149
Kuwait 45632 0 0 45632
Malaysia 0 2 0 2
New Caledonia 22 17 14 53
Papua New Guinea 44 68 52 164
Philippines 887 431 263 1582
Qatar 444 0 0 444
Singapore 20 20 0 40
South Korea 496 307 995 1798
Taiwan 2826 1152 777 4755
Thailand 60353 2329 711 63394
UAE 541 719 27775 29035
Vietnam 10943 716 0 11659
TOTAL 249607 56661 129504 435771

Table 2: ABS feed barley export data for May, June and July 2019.

SORGHUM May June July Tonnes
China 7995 17210 15208 40413
Japan 0 0 114 114
Malaysia 0 0 23 23
Philippines 1076 849 862 2787
Taiwan 570 612 225 1406
Vietnam 2 0 0 2
TOTAL 9643 18671 16431 44744

Table 3: ABS sorghum export data for May, June and July 2019.

 

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