Market trends highlight shifting sorghum demand and new trade opportunities
In 2025, the United States produced an estimated 10.2 million metric tons (MMT) of grain sorghum, continuing its position as a major global supplier. Kansas led national production with 5.8 MMT, followed by Texas at 2.64 MMT. Other contributing states included Colorado, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, each producing close to 500 thousand metric tons. Except for a weaker season in 2022, the country has averaged 9.35 MMT annually, reflecting the crop’s continued importance across several regions.
The United States remains the world’s largest sorghum exporter, ahead of Australia and Argentina. In 2024, U.S. exporters shipped 5.24 MMT of sorghum, valued at $1.38 billion. China has consistently been the leading buyer, purchasing more than 83 percent of U.S. exports between 2020 and 2024. During this period, the value of exports to China ranged between $1.32 billion and $2.14 billion each year. In 2024 alone, China imported 4.63 MMT of U.S. sorghum worth $1.23 billion. Other markets, including Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, and Djibouti, accounted for small volumes, each importing less than 20 thousand metric tons annually.
However, the ongoing tariff dispute between the United States and China significantly affected trade in 2025. By July, U.S. exports had reached only 82 thousand metric tons, compared to more than 3.24 MMT during the same period in 2024. This represents an 80 percent drop in exports, with shipments to China declining by 97 percent. As a result, buyers turned to Australia and Argentina to fill the supply gap.
Similar declines occurred in 2018 and 2019, but exports recovered after the 2020 U.S.–China “Phase One” agreement. A recent agreement between both countries is expected to help reopen the Chinese market and support U.S. sorghum sales moving forward. As global demand shifts, producers and exporters continue to watch policy developments closely.