US regains foothold in Bangladesh’s corn market with 6% share

The US has secured a 6 percent share of Bangladesh's corn imports in the 2025-26 marketing year (MY), marking a re-entry into the market after eight years.

Bangladesh imported over 17.4 lakh tonnes of corn to meet the requirements of its feed industry, of which approximately 111,000 tonnes were of American origin in MY26, according to a report by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) released early this month.

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Brazil remained the largest supplier, accounting for 68 percent of Bangladesh’s total corn imports, followed by India at 24 percent, said the agency in its Grain and Feed Update on Bangladesh.

The share of Brazil in corn shipments, however, declined in MY26, which began in May. Bangladesh imported about 93 percent of its corn from Brazil in MY25, followed by 4 percent from Argentina and 2 percent from Pakistan, according to a previous USDA report.

The re-entry of US corn began after three Bangladeshi feed companies initiated the first purchase of approximately 60,000 tonnes, and the grain arrived at Chattogram port in the first week of January this year.

The development came amid broader trade engagement between Bangladesh and the US after Dhaka agreed to increase imports from the US to help narrow an annual trade gap exceeding $6.2 billion in its effort to avoid a high tariff on Bangladesh’s exports announced by the Trump administration as part of reciprocal tariffs. The US Supreme Court later ruled them illegal.

The US agency earlier said that, historically, India has been one of the major corn suppliers to Bangladesh due to its price competitiveness, efficient logistics and shorter shipment durations.

However, since 2024, India's exportable surplus of corn has declined significantly as the country has increased corn-based biofuel production. As a result, Brazil has emerged as the leading supplier.

For the current MY27, Bangladesh’s private sector is expected to import 18 lakh tonnes of the grain, up 3.4 percent year-on-year. In the first three months of MY27, Bangladesh imported around 115,000 tonnes of corn, according to the latest report.

“Corn imports are expected to remain strong, supported by continued growth in Bangladesh’s poultry, aquaculture, and cattle feed industries. However, import volumes fluctuate from year to year depending on domestic corn production and market availability,” it said.

Over the past several years, Bangladesh has imported an average of approximately 15 lakh tonnes of corn annually.

The US agency said corn is now the second-largest grain crop in Bangladesh in terms of acreage and production after rice, and farmers are increasingly cultivating corn due to its high yields and strong market prices that make it a profitable crop.

“As demand for livestock and aquaculture products continues to grow, corn production is expected to increase, with farmers adopting improved hybrid seeds and better farming techniques to maximise yields,” it said.

In Bangladesh, farmers grow corn in both the summer and winter seasons, with the USDA forecasting 60 lakh tonnes of production, an increase of 1.7 percent year-on-year.

However, domestic production alone cannot meet the requirement for the grain from feed mills that cater to the poultry, fisheries and livestock industries.

Bangladesh requires over 71 lakh tonnes of corn annually, and approximately 90 percent of local harvests are absorbed by animal feed manufacturers, as poultry feed relies primarily on corn as its main raw material.

For the current MY27, the USDA has kept its forecast for the country’s total feed and residual corn use at 72.5 lakh tonnes, up 2.1 percent from its estimate for MY26.