The latest export sales data for the week ending May 21, 2026, reveals a challenging period for wheat exports alongside continued strength in corn shipments, according to the Foreign Agricultural Service's Weekly Export Report.
Wheat faces marketing-year low
Wheat exports faced significant headwinds during the reporting period, with net sales reductions reaching 807,300 metric tons for the 2025/2026 marketing year. This figure represents a marketing-year low and marks a notable decline from both the previous week and the prior four-week average. The reductions primarily affected major markets including Japan, which saw decreases of 171,600 metric tons, followed by Panama at 108,500 metric tons and Mexico at 103,300 metric tons.
Despite these setbacks in current-year sales, forward contracting for the 2026/2027 marketing year showed more promise. New wheat sales totaled 1,057,500 metric tons, with Japan leading purchases at 252,100 metric tons, followed by the Philippines at 166,900 metric tons and Mexico at 125,600 metric tons.
Actual wheat shipments during the week totaled 299,700 metric tons, representing a 30 percent increase from the previous week. However, this figure remained 23 percent below the four-week average, indicating ongoing volatility in export flows. Japan received the largest share of shipments at 73,900 metric tons, while the Dominican Republic imported 59,100 metric tons.
Corn maintains steady demand
Corn exports demonstrated more stability, with net sales reaching 1,015,300 metric tons for the current marketing year. While this represented a 52 percent decline from the previous week, the performance remained relatively strong compared to recent trends. Mexico dominated corn purchases with 435,900 metric tons, followed by Colombia at 251,500 metric tons and Japan at 118,300 metric tons.
The corn market also showed robust forward sales activity, with 618,600 metric tons contracted for 2026/2027 delivery. Mexico again led these purchases at 249,900 metric tons, while unknown destinations accounted for 197,500 metric tons, suggesting continued global demand.
Corn shipments totaled 1,613,900 metric tons during the week, up 12 percent from the previous period. Mexico received 466,000 metric tons of these exports, while South Korea imported 261,000 metric tons and Colombia took delivery of 221,100 metric tons.
Minor grains see limited activity
Smaller grain markets showed minimal activity during the reporting period. Barley recorded no net sales for the current marketing year, with only 100 metric tons sold for future delivery to South Korea. Exports totaled just 1,300 metric tons, split between Canada and Japan.
Sorghum sales reached 66,000 metric tons, primarily to unknown destinations, while exports dropped dramatically to 6,800 metric tons. This represented a 96 percent decline from the previous week and a 95 percent drop from the four-week average, highlighting the volatile nature of this market.
The data reflects ongoing challenges in global grain trade, with geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainties continuing to influence buyer behavior. Export adjustments during the week included corrections to previous corn shipment destinations, with 67,436 metric tons originally recorded for South Korea redirected to Vietnam, and 5,087 metric tons initially destined for Venezuela corrected to Colombia.
These weekly fluctuations underscore the dynamic nature of agricultural export markets and the importance of maintaining flexible supply chains to meet evolving global demand patterns.
