Wheat · ranking
Which economies sell the most grain abroad, and what a flour miller, trader or feed buyer should do with that ranking before choosing an origin.
| # | Market | Value | Volume | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | $24.4B | — | 2024 |
| 2 | India | $11.9B | — | 2024 |
| 3 | Argentina | $10.1B | — | 2024 |
| 4 | Ukraine | $9.4B | — | 2024 |
| 5 | Brazil | $9.4B | — | 2024 |
| 6 | Canada | $9.4B | — | 2024 |
| 7 | Australia | $8.3B | — | 2024 |
| 8 | France | $7.2B | — | 2024 |
| 9 | Thailand | $6.5B | — | 2024 |
| 10 | Vietnam | $4.5B | — | 2023 |
Ranking is for the whole of HS chapter 10 (cereals), reporter-declared, latest year available per market. Source: UN Comtrade.
Wheat and meslin fall under heading 1001, yet the ranking below is built on HS chapter 10 as a whole. Every value therefore includes maize, barley, rice and the other cereals. A country strong in maize and weak in wheat would still rank well, and a pure wheat origin could look smaller than it is to a bread-flour buyer.
That matters more for wheat than for most goods, because origins differ by class: hard versus soft, milling versus feed, protein level, and harvest timing. The ranking cannot tell you any of it. Use it to build a long list of origins, and leave the grade decision to shipment records and your own specification.
The United States is first at $24.4B and India second at $11.9B, with Argentina at $10.1B in third. Ukraine, Brazil and Canada then share $9.4B, followed by Australia at $8.3B, France at $7.2B, Thailand at $6.5B and Vietnam at $4.5B.
The top ten cover 72.3% of the ranked markets among the 96 in the dataset. Only the leader stands clear. Between third and ninth place the values fall by only a few billion dollars, so a small revision or a late filing could reorder much of the table.
Declared values follow each reporter’s own customs system. Grain moves through transit points and storage hubs, and a country that re-exports can show inflated numbers without growing the crop. Reporting years also differ, so a ranking mixes 2024 and 2023 data.
None of this says anything about reliability of supply in a particular season. Weather, logistics and government measures shift what an origin can offer, so confirm current export conditions with the supplier and the exporting country’s customs authority instead of assuming past leadership continues.
Once you shortlist origins, look up shipment records for the wheat heading. They show who shipped, who received, the quantity and the declared value, so you can see which exporters are active and which destinations they already serve.
If you are a producer or trader, the same records show your competitors’ customers. You can list what you have on the free marketplace and use the country data to decide which importing markets to approach first.
The United States leads at $24.4B. The figure is for HS chapter 10, all cereals, so it shows the largest grain exporter in the data rather than a pure wheat measure.
Customs data at chapter level does not split grades or classes. To see the wheat portion, use records under the wheat heading, and expect to check the class with the seller directly.
They account for 72.3% of the ranked markets in a dataset of 96 markets. The leader is far ahead, and ranks three to nine are fairly close.
Use it to pick origins to investigate. Then check named exporters in shipment records, confirm the current export rules and quality specification, and agree Incoterm, currency and payment terms before committing.
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