EU Soft Wheat Exports See Slow Start to 2026/27 Season, Data Shows

European Union soft wheat exports have started the 2026/27 marketing season at a significantly slower pace than the previous year, with shipments nearly halving through mid-July. The sluggish start comes as the market assesses early-season global supply and demand dynamics.

Key Trade Figures

In a report published Wednesday, the European Commission detailed grain trade flows for the period from the start of the season in July through July 19. The data shows a notable year-over-year decrease in key cereal exports.

• Soft Wheat Exports: Totaled 0.47 million metric tons, down from 0.86 million tons during the same period in the 2025/26 season.
• Barley Exports: Reached 0.19 million tons, a steep drop from the 1.11 million tons shipped in the corresponding weeks of the prior season.
• Maize Imports: Bucking the trend, EU maize imports stood at 0.76 million tons, an increase from 0.63 million tons a year earlier.

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Data Gaps and Context

The European Commission cautioned that the current figures should be viewed as preliminary due to incomplete data submissions from several member countries. These reporting gaps could affect the accuracy of the overall EU totals.

The Commission specifically noted that grain export data for France has been incomplete since the beginning of 2024. Furthermore, data gaps have existed for Bulgaria and Ireland since the start of the 2023/24 marketing year, and for Greece since January 2026. These figures are often revised as more complete data becomes available.