Spain reduces purchases of Ukrainian corn: what is behind it
8 October 07:39
Despite growing competition from the US, Ukraine continues to actively supply corn to the European Union. This was stated by Bohdan Dukhnytskyi, a leading researcher at the Department of Agricultural Market and International Integration of the National Research Center “Institute of Agrarian Economics”, Doctor of Economics, in a commentary to "Komersant Ukrainian".
According to the expert, the situation on the corn market is quite ambiguous now.
“Spain, which is the largest buyer of Ukrainian corn in the European Union, has recently started to favor purchases from the United States,” explains Dukhnytskyi.
According to the results of the marketing season 2024/25, Spain imported 2.4 mln tons of corn from Ukraine, almost as much as from the USA.
For comparison, in the 2023/24 season, Ukraine sold 6.2 mln tons to Spain, while the US sold only 100 thsd tonnes.
In the new 2025/26 season, Spanish companies have already signed contracts for 0.5 mln tons of US corn.
Price is the main factor of competition
One of the main reasons for the change in the import structure is the price difference.
“Last season, Ukrainian corn was $20 per ton more expensive than American corn,” the expert emphasizes.
As of the end of September 2025, the US corn costs $242/t, while the Ukrainian corn costs $251/t, remaining the most expensive on the European market.
Ukrainian corn retains its position in the EU
Despite the activity of the US, Ukraine is not losing its position.
“We continue to supply corn to Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Cyprus, and Greece. So it’s premature to talk about a complete loss of the European market,” emphasized Dukhnytsky.
In addition, the EU countries are expected to reduce their own corn harvest, which may increase the demand for imports, particularly from Ukraine.
