Eliza Galeana | 23 de julio de 2026.
Mexico’s grain and oilseed imports reached their highest level since 2015 during the first half of 2026, reflecting sustained growth in domestic demand led by the livestock and food processing industries and continued reliance on foreign supply. While imports of yellow corn and soybeans increased, lower white corn purchases coincided with government efforts to expand domestic production under its food sovereignty strategy. The trend has implications for agribusiness, agricultural producers, food manufacturers and policymakers seeking to strengthen Mexico’s long-term food security and supply chain resilience.
Mexico recorded its highest grain and oilseed import volume in more than a decade during the 1H26, highlighting the country’s growing reliance on foreign supply despite ongoing efforts to boost domestic white corn production and strengthen food sovereignty.
According to data compiled by the Agricultural Markets Consulting Group (GCMA), higher imports of grains and oilseeds, including corn, soybeans and canola, between January and June 2026 led Mexico to record its highest import volume since 2015.
Grain imports reached 23.9Mt, a 6.3% increase compared to the same period in 2025, valued at US$7.5 billion. This marked the second-highest value on record, surpassed only by 2022, when imports hit a historic high following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Corn consolidated its position as the country’s most imported agricultural commodity, amid more moderate international prices compared to the previous year, according to GCMA’s analysis. Corn imports totaled 12.3Mt, an 8.6% year-on-year increase, while their commercial value reached US$2.5 billion, up 3.4% from the previous year. Of the total, 11.70Mt corresponded to yellow corn imported from the United States, representing a 10.1% increase compared to the same period a year earlier.
By contrast, white corn, which is primarily used to produce tortillas, showed the opposite trend. Imports declined 15.9% in volume and 11.5% in value, totaling 490,000t, reflecting a more stable domestic supply following the arrival of the national harvest during the semester.
The soybean complex, which includes soybeans, soybean meal and soybean oil, reached 5.08Mt, up 15.1%. Soybean imports increased 9.8% in volume and 19.7% in value, while soybean meal, used in the production of animal feed, rose 34.1% in volume and 34.8% in value. Meanwhile, canola imports totaled 980,000t, increasing 10.6% in volume and 21.8% in value, driven by demand from the vegetable oil industry.
Similarly, wheat imports reached 2.45Mt, down 4.2% in volume and 1% in value, reflecting a more balanced market and lower demand for foreign supply. Sorghum imports also declined, falling 23% in volume and 25.9% in value amid substitution by corn.
Beans posted the steepest decline of the semester, dropping 32.6% in volume and 52% in value, supported by greater domestic availability. Oat imports also decreased, falling 30.6% in volume and 29.8% in value. Likewise, soybean oil ranked among the products with the sharpest contractions, declining 35.5% in volume and 24.6% in value, while combined imports of palm, canola and sunflower oils fell 13% in volume and 12.7% in value.
Structural dependence
GCMA said the increase in imports of strategic grains confirms a structural trend in which Mexico continues to rely heavily on international markets to meet domestic demand, while national production of several key crops has failed to keep pace with consumption growth.
According to the organization, this trend reflects a structural imbalance between domestic production and internal demand, which is driven primarily by the livestock and processing industries. Mexico currently imports around 56% of the grains and oilseeds it consumes, making it the world’s second-largest importer of these products.
The consulting group expects Mexico’s import behavior to remain closely tied to livestock demand, the installed capacity of the processing industry, exchange rate movements and international prices. It also explained that part of the country’s white corn imports responds to logistical considerations, as supplying southeastern Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula through imports arriving at Gulf ports can be more cost-effective than transporting grain from production areas in northwestern and central Mexico.
«The historic record in imports is a warning sign of Mexico’s growing food dependence. At the same time, effective commercialization mechanisms remain absent to ensure timely marketing of harvests and prevent producers from facing excessive discounts or uncertainty when selling their crops,» GCMA said.
Strategy to strengthen white corn production
The decline in white corn imports coincides with the Mexican government’s strategy to strengthen domestic production of the grain as part of its food sovereignty agenda. Through Plan México, the federal administration has set a target of increasing national white corn production from 21.8Mt to 25Mt by the end of the current administration, through measures aimed at supporting small and medium-sized producers with financing, technical assistance and access to agricultural inputs.
As part of this strategy, the government launched the Precio Justo (Fair Price) program for the commercialization of white corn in May 2026. During its initial phase, the program is expected to involve approximately 61,000 producers, who will produce around 7Mt of white corn, with the participation of more than 80 companies across the value chain. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER), the initiative aims to strengthen domestic production, improve grain commercialization and reduce dependence on imports as part of Mexico’s broader food sovereignty strategy.
Fuente: Mexico Business News
