Up until 2009 China was self-sufficient in corn, however the country’s dietary shift will cause China to surpass Japan, South Korea, and Mexico to become the world’s top corn importer by 2021. In 2014 China is expected to import 2% of its consumption with imports increasing to 7.2% of consumption by 2024 according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Meat consumption in China has increased 27% since 2001 as U.S. consumption fell by 5% over the same time period, and China’s meat consumption is expected to continue to increase at this same rate over the next ten years. Meat production in China is expected to increase 30% to 90 million tons by 2024 with three kilograms of corn needed to produce each kilogram of meat. This increase in corn demand from China will account for 40% of the increase in global trade in corn over the next 10 years. China will surpass South Korea as a corn importer by 2018 and will surpass Japan by 2021. Mexico will become the world’s second biggest corn importer behind China.
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