China maintained its status as the top market for U.S. sorghum in the 2020/2021 marketing year. The country’s purchases led to a nearly 40 percent increase in overall U.S. sorghum exports year-over-year to 7.18 million metric tons (MMT), despite losses from Mexico, Sudan and Japan.

Chinese imports more than doubled from the 2019/2020 marketing year, totaling 6.78 MMT, or 267.2 million bushels, of U.S. sorghum in 2020/2021. At a four-year high, China represented 94 percent of all U.S. sorghum exported in 2020/2021.

Sudan was the second-largest market in 2020/2021, purchasing 70,800 MT, or 2.7 million bushels. Mexico’s imports landed them in the third spot, purchasing 60,900 MT, or 2.4 million bushels.

Eritrea, Kenya and Afghanistan all experienced a positive marketing year. Eritrea, the fourth-largest market, had its second-best year on record, purchasing 60,600 MT, or 2.3 million bushels. Sorghum sales to the fifth-largest market, Kenya, rose substantially to more than 49,650 MT, or 1.9 million bushels, in 2020/2021. Afghanistan, the sixth-largest market, purchased U.S. sorghum for the first time on record in this past marketing year, totaling 34,800 MT, or 1.3 million bushels.