Ukraine presses for the increase of agroexport to China

A lack of demand from China for Ukraine corn is ‘worrisome’, as the country works to iron out administrative issues that have dogged recent barley exports while courting Chinese investment in the country’s infrastructure, agriCENSUS.com reports.

"I hope there will be some spot demand since we have cargoes to sell, but of course we will be looking for premiums," one Ukraine-based market source said, but China demand continued to be absent.

Experts assume that both China and the EU have to switch to Ukrainian corn now, so does Egypt. However, Egypt keeps reducing purchases from Ukraine.

China is already a well-documented investor in Ukraine and has risen in the rankings as one of Ukraine’s biggest corn customers.

Exports of barley from Ukraine to China are said to have encountered headwinds in recent weeks, as a change in the process for registering China-bound barley caused confusion.

It is reported that a delegation of around 100 Chinese investors is meeting Ukrainian industry representatives in Kyiv this week, as the country’s agriculture sector seeks to tie up stronger links with one of its biggest customers.

Previously it was reported that U.S. President Donald Trump had accused China of targeting American farmers in a ‘vicious’ way and using them as leverage to get concessions on trade a day after the administration announced a USD 12-billion farm aid package.