Wheat · guide
Wheat is traded more like a bulk industrial input than a packaged food. Buyers care about protein, moisture, test weight and contamination, and they usually buy by specification and inspection certificate rather than by brand.
| Market | Imports | Year |
|---|---|---|
| China | $14.8B | 2024 |
| Mexico | $8.0B | 2024 |
| Egypt | $6.8B | 2024 |
| Indonesia | $6.8B | 2024 |
| Japan | $6.7B | 2024 |
| Vietnam | $5.5B | 2023 |
| Market | Exports | Year |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $24.4B | 2024 |
| India | $11.9B | 2024 |
| Argentina | $10.1B | 2024 |
| Ukraine | $9.4B | 2024 |
| Brazil | $9.4B | 2024 |
| Canada | $9.4B | 2024 |
Figures are for the whole of HS chapter 10 (cereals). Source: UN Comtrade.
The tariff separates wheat by type first and by purpose second. Heading 1001 covers wheat and meslin, and its subheadings distinguish durum wheat from all other wheat, and within each, seed from the rest. That gives the practical categories: durum wheat other than seed (100119), durum seed (100111), common or other wheat other than seed (100199) and other-wheat seed (100191). The headings 100110 and 100190 appear as the parent groupings for durum and other wheat.
Durum wheat is the hard, amber-coloured type used for pasta and semolina. Common wheat, including the bread and soft varieties, is what most flour mills buy. Within common wheat, buyers speak of classes such as hard, soft, red or white and of protein levels, and they trade them as different products. Decide which you can consistently supply, and remember that wheat sold for sowing is a seed product with its own certification path, quite unlike grain sold for milling.
You need the ordinary business registrations, a bank able to handle foreign exchange, and any identification number your customs authority issues to exporters. Then look at the grain-specific layer. Wheat is a strategic staple in many countries, and governments sometimes limit exports, set duties or require permits when domestic supply is a concern. Confirm the current rules for your wheat with your customs authority and your grain or agriculture ministry before you make any offer.
Access to storage and loading infrastructure is also a legal and practical question. Bulk wheat moves through silos, port elevators or bagged warehouses, and each has its own handling rules and fees. If you do not own storage, you will need a contract with a facility that can keep lots segregated and can issue the storage or warehouse receipt your buyer’s bank may want to see.
The statistics on this site cover HS chapter 10 as a whole, meaning all cereals and not wheat alone. On that basis China imports $14.8B, Mexico $8.0B, Egypt $6.8B, Indonesia $6.8B and Japan $6.7B, while Vietnam shows $5.5B for 2023. Treat these as pointers to where large cereal demand exists, and confirm wheat demand by looking at shipment records under heading 1001.
Who actually buys is a mixed group. Flour millers, pasta makers, feed compounders, trading houses and in some markets state grain agencies. Shipment records show named consignees, declared quantities and values and the origins they buy from, so you can separate regular commercial buyers from one-off purchasers. Large buyers often source through tenders or long relationships, so a smaller seller may find more room with mid-sized mills and traders who need a second supplier.
Wheat is bought on a specification and proven by an independent inspection at loading. Typical items on that specification include moisture, protein, test weight, foreign matter, damaged and shrivelled kernels, insect presence and, for durum, the share of vitreous kernels. Ask each buyer for a written spec, and check you can meet every line, because grain contracts often give the buyer the right to reject or claim a discount when a value falls outside its limit.
Sampling is where disputes start. Grain settles and stratifies, so the sample must be drawn according to an agreed method, from the whole lot, and sealed. Agree in advance which inspection body will certify quality and weight at loading, whether its result is final, and how to resolve a difference at discharge. Keep a sealed retained sample from every loading so you can answer a claim with evidence.
Wheat margins are small in proportion to the freight and financing involved, so cost discipline matters more than in a high-value product. Build the quote from the purchase cost, storage, cleaning and drying, transport to the port, loading charges, inspection, documentation and financing, and add an allowance for weight shrink. Then decide the trade term. Free on board leaves you at the loading port. Cost and freight or cost, insurance and freight makes you responsible for chartering or booking the ship.
Vessel size shapes the deal. Large buyers may charter a whole vessel, which asks for a big single lot and a firm laycan window for loading. Smaller shipments go in containers or in bags. Bulk cargo needs holds that are clean, dry and free of insects, and an inspector normally checks the holds before loading. Demurrage and despatch clauses matter because delays in loading cost money by the day.
The usual papers are the commercial invoice, packing list or bulk weight statement, bill of lading, certificate of origin, phytosanitary certificate and the independent quality and weight certificates. Some buyers ask for a fumigation certificate, a health certificate, a non-GMO declaration or a mycotoxin test report. Treat these as commonly requested and confirm the current list with the buyer’s broker and the import authority.
For payment, a confirmed letter of credit is the standard protection for a first grain contract, sometimes with a smaller advance. India is a useful case to watch: it exports $11.9B in chapter 10 and ranks 2 of 96, and grain exporters there operate in an environment where export policy can change with domestic supply. Whatever your origin, write a clause that deals with export restrictions, force majeure and the buyer’s right to cancel, so that a sudden rule change does not leave you holding a contract you cannot legally perform.
Durum is a hard wheat used mainly for pasta and semolina, and it has its own subheading. Common wheat, used for bread, biscuits and general milling, falls under the other-wheat subheading. Buyers treat them as separate products with different specifications.
Yes. The tariff has separate seed subheadings for durum and for other wheat, apart from the grain sold for milling. Seed also usually needs its own certification, so confirm the rules with your seed or agriculture authority.
Commonly moisture, protein, test weight, foreign matter, damaged kernels and insect presence, plus vitreous kernels for durum. The exact limits come from the buyer's written specification, and an independent inspector usually certifies the loaded lot.
Governments sometimes limit wheat exports or change duties to protect domestic supply. Confirm current rules with your customs and agriculture authorities before offering, and include a contract clause covering export restrictions and force majeure.
Use customs shipment records under heading 1001 to see consignees, quantities and origins, then contact mid-sized mills and traders. The marketplace on this site also lists buyers who have posted requirements.
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