Brazil exports over 16m mt of soybeans, a record for May

Brazilian soybean exports reached 16.4 million mt in May, a record for this time of...

Brazilian soybean exports reached 16.4 million mt in May, a record for this time of the year and less than 1mi llion mt below the all-time record shipped in April, official customs data showed Tuesday.

The country loaded 781,114 mt of beans per working day in May, down from daily shipment rates above 880,000 mt at the beginning of the month but still 10.7% higher on the year.

May bean exports came slightly above the 16.2 million mt forecast set by the Brazilian grain exporters association Anec in the week prior.

Looking ahead, over 8.2 million mt of beans are scheduled to leave Brazilian ports in the coming weeks, line-up data from shipping agency Cargonave showed Tuesday.

Despite the record export level, the agency’s data shows that the share of beans heading to China declined from May 2020 – the full official statistics will be released in the coming days.

The country exported 13,919 mt of corn in May at a daily average of 663 mt, 46.8% lower on the year.

That said, Brazilian corn exports are typically very low at this time of the year and, despite the expected shortfalls in the second crop safrinha due to dry weather conditions, volumes shipped should pick up from the second semester.  

What to read next
The global steel industry’s move to decarbonize and China’s penchant for lower-grade ores in recent years have uncovered challenges for high-grade iron ore to live out its value in both the blast furnace-based steelmaking route and the direct-reduction iron process, delegates told Fastmarkets during the Singapore International Ferrous Week (SIFW), which takes place from May 26-30.
Discover how President Trump's tariffs impact the US fluff pulp export market, specifically targeting the EU and China.
The playing field for global iron ore brands could be poised to be leveled, given a recent announcement on lower iron content in a key mainstream Australian direct shipping ore, iron ore market participants told Fastmarkets, adding that the development could narrow the price disparities between major Australian mid-grade iron ore brands.
The graphite industry in 2025 faces major challenges, including trade wars, high US tariffs on synthetic graphite and policy changes affecting EV manufacturing and tax credits. Low natural graphite prices, oversupply and slow EV growth make diversifying supply chains essential for market stability.
Turkey has become the leading buyer of Ukrainian corn during the 2024/2025 marketing year by making use of import quotas, which have been a key factor supporting prices in recent months.
Soybean futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange held broadly steady in the front end of the curve on Thursday May 29, while contracts for farther delivery months faced some downward pressure.