COFCO ships first large-scale Brazilian sorghum cargo to China

COFCO International, one of the world’s largest agribusiness companies, has shipped its first large-scale cargo of Brazilian sorghum to China, moving 69,000 metric tons from the Port of Santos.

The shipment marks a new channel for Brazilian sorghum exports to China, creating additional demand for the crop and giving Brazilian producers broader access to international markets.

The cargo was loaded at COFCO’s agricultural export terminal, Terminal Export COFCO, or TEC, located at the STS-11 area of the Port of Santos. It is bound for the Port of Nansha, in Guangzhou, where it will be distributed by COFCO Trading.

The shipment is being carried by the bulk carrier Guoyuan 26. It follows the entry into force of a phytosanitary protocol for Brazilian sorghum exports to China, signed by the two countries in November 2024. Commercial clearance for shipments began in 2025.

The protocol sets technical requirements and procedures to ensure the phytosanitary safety of agricultural products shipped to China in each cargo.

“The opening of the Chinese market creates new possibilities for Brazilian sorghum, expanding marketing alternatives for producers and connecting national production to an important consumer market,” said Luiz Noto, CEO of COFCO’s grains and oilseeds division in Brazil.

“For COFCO International, this shipment reinforces our role in trading different agricultural commodities and the company’s ability to connect Brazilian production to strategic markets,” he added.

China is a major consumer of sorghum, which is used mainly as a raw material for animal feed and in the production of baijiu, a traditional Chinese alcoholic drink.

The opening of this new Brazil-China trade flow strengthens opportunities for the Brazilian grain and expands its presence in the international market. The shipment also reinforces the Port of Santos’ role as a key gateway for Brazilian sorghum exports to China and other agricultural commodities.

Source: Cofco International

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