Last week, Brazil shipped 60,000 tonnes of corn to the United States, according to Refinitiv data, an unusual export destination given the North American country’s status as the largest producer and exporter of the cereal.
According to Reuters, the corn was exported by Cargill, ship scheduling information showed. Cargill confirmed the shipment, declining to elaborate.
NovaAgri SA, another local grain trader, said in a statement it also shipped some 60,000 tonnes of corn to U.S.-based meatpacker Smithfield Foods on Sept. 3.
Sources told Reuters that U.S. demand for Brazil’s corn has been driven by fears of crop failure in North America, as U.S. farmers dealt with climate issues in the beginning of the planting season.
