Wheat (HS: Wheat) Product Trade, Exporters and Importers | The Observatory of Economic Complexity (2024)

FAQs

Who is the largest exporter and importer of wheat in the world? ›

Russia is the largest wheat exporter in the world followed by Canada in the United States. Three countries export more than 20 million tons of wheat: Russia, Canada and the United States. Russia accounts for nearly 24% of the total of the top 20 largest wheat exporters.

Although the United States typically produces only about 6-7 percent of the world's wheat, it is a major wheat exporter. While Russia and the European Union are the top world wheat exporters, the United States routinely ranks among the top five global wheat exporters.

United States imports Wheat primarily from: Canada ($716M), France ($7.61M), Argentina ($7.44M), Ukraine ($2.46M), and Italy ($835k). The fastest growing import markets in Wheat for United States between 2021 and 2022 were Canada ($314M), France ($7.61M), and Argentina ($7.43M).

China makes largest U.S. wheat purchase in years | Nasdaq.

But unsurprisingly, wheat consumption can vary sharply by country. China is the world's largest consumer of wheat by overall volume, chowing down on more than 97,000 tons of grain. India is in second with more than 90,000 tons. Both of these high-population countries consume about 65 kilograms of wheat per capita.

China is the largest producer of wheat in the world. The other leading producers of wheat include India, Russia, the United States of America, and Canada.

Exports of Soft Red Winter wheat, which have been buoyed by strong sales to China, have also been lowered after the country recently canceled some sales as prices weakened on the global market.

Wheat is the primary grain used in U.S. grain products — approximately three-quarters of all U.S. grain products are made from wheat flour. Wheat is grown in 42 states in the United States.

What is the wheat capital of the United States? ›

"Queen Wheat City" is the nickname given to Enid, Oklahoma. It is also known as the "Wheat Capital" of Oklahoma and the United States for its immense grain storage capacity, and has the third-largest grain storage capacity in the world.

The leading wheat-producing states include North Dakota, Kansas, Washington, Montana, and Idaho. These states benefit from a combination of favorable climate conditions, fertile soils, and well-established agricultural infrastructure that supports the large-scale cultivation of wheat.

China imports Wheat primarily from: Australia ($2.03B), Canada ($1.53B), France ($507M), United States ($444M), and Kazakhstan ($13.8M). The fastest growing import markets in Wheat for China between 2021 and 2022 were Australia ($1.11B), Canada ($866M), and France ($8.06M).

So far in 2023, China's wheat imports from Australia are up 41% from last year and its imports from Canada have more than tripled. China's poor wheat harvest has pushed wheat prices (purple line) above corn (blue line) and rice (red line), signaling that the country will need to sharply increase its wheat imports.

Total commitments of U.S. wheat to China have surpassed 2 million tons since June, driven largely by strong demand for soft red winter wheat. Recent purchases made on Dec. 4 and Dec. 6 marked the largest singular commitments for U.S. wheat since 2020.

U.S. imports of hard red winter wheat, mostly from the EU, for 2023/24 are at 25 million bushels, a record high, and up from 5 million bushels from 2022/23. This trade flow is atypical. U.S. wheat imports are normally driven by hard red spring and durum wheat from neighboring Canada.

Egypt depends on imported wheat, and in recent years the vast majority of these imports have come from Russia and Ukraine. Imported grain provides half the flour that goes into a subsidized bread program which feeds some 72 million Egyptians on a daily basis. This staple is a cornerstone of Egyptian diets.