Mexico City – Mexico’s imports of white corn, mainly from the United States, rose 268 percent year-on-year between January and August, driven by lower logistical costs.
According to data from Grupo Consultor de Mercados Agrícolas (GCMA), Mexico imported 760,000 tons of white corn for human consumption during the first eight months of the year, compared to 210,000 tons in the same period of 2024.
José Cacho, executive vice president of Grupo Empresarial G, explained that corn imports are largely the result of cost considerations rather than supply shortages. While Mexico produces enough white corn, transportation expenses can make the grain more expensive in certain regions.
For example, shipping corn from Sinaloa, the country’s largest producing state, to the Gulf of Mexico or the southeast can cost up to 3,000 pesos per ton, while importing from New Orleans may cost around 400 pesos.
Cacho noted that despite the impact of droughts in 2023 and 2024, Mexico still produces enough white corn —about 23 to 24 million tons annually—, but the geographic location of demand often makes U.S. imports more economical. He recalled that since the opening of trade around 25 years ago, Mexico has regularly imported between 600,000 and one million tons of white corn annually.
Source: El Diario MX
