Sesame Market: China’s Cheaper Imports Reshape Global Trade Flows

China’s sesame imports in early 2026 reveal a market under clear price pressure but with resilient demand, encouraging buyers to diversify origins and reward the most competitive suppliers. Overall import volumes into China stayed almost flat in the first half of 2026, yet import values fell sharply as average prices declined by about one fifth year-on-year. June showed a clear rebound in Chinese buying, confirming that lower price levels are stimulating demand and reshaping trade flows in favour of Pakistan, Ethiopia and especially Brazil, while traditional leaders like Niger and Togo see mixed performance. Current offers from Egypt and India suggest globally weak to slightly softening prices, with buyers retaining the upper hand in negotiations despite the recent uptick in Chinese purchases.

Prices

China paid on average about USD 1,125/t for sesame in January–June 2026, roughly 20% below the USD 1,411/t paid a year earlier, confirming a pronounced global downtrend in export prices. June’s average price of USD 1,120/t was still 19% lower year-on-year, even as monthly import volumes jumped.

Indicative FOB offers underline this soft tone: converting roughly at 1 EUR ≈ 1.09 USD, recent levels imply around EUR 1.64/kg for Egyptian golden sesame and about EUR 1.31/kg for Egyptian natural sesame, while Indian natural sesame is near EUR 1.10–1.20/kg and hulled around EUR 1.25/kg, all slightly below late-July values. This points to a gently easing market despite stronger Chinese spot buying.

Supply & Demand

China imported 700,214 t of sesame in January–June 2026, only 2% less than the 711,072 t recorded a year earlier, indicating broadly stable underlying demand. The value of these imports, however, fell by 21% to about USD 787.9 million, highlighting how lower global prices rather than weaker consumption are driving market adjustments.

June data point to renewed buying appetite: imports reached 113,564 t, up 43% year-on-year, while the import bill rose 15% to USD 127.2 million. The rebound suggests that Chinese buyers are taking advantage of discounted prices to replenish stocks, providing a demand floor even as global supply remains comfortable.

Trade Flows & Origins

Niger remained China’s largest sesame supplier in the first half of 2026 with 254,914 t, though its shipments declined compared with last year, signalling some erosion of its dominance. Pakistan more than doubled its exports to China to 96,667 t, while Ethiopia increased shipments to 83,475 t, both capitalising on competitive pricing and available supplies.

Brazil showed the most spectacular growth, surging from only 1,444 t to 55,653 t, confirming its emergence as a meaningful alternative origin. At the same time, Togo’s deliveries fell, illustrating how China’s demand, though steady in aggregate, is being redistributed across origins as buyers diversify and arbitrage regional price differences.

Fundamentals & Weather

The combination of nearly unchanged Chinese volumes and significantly lower import values indicates that supply from Africa, South Asia and South America is sufficiently ample to exert downward pressure on prices. Importers have responded by broadening their supplier base, which in turn increases competition among exporters and limits any immediate price recovery.

For the short term, no major weather shock has yet translated into visible supply tightness in key origins such as Niger, Pakistan, Ethiopia or Brazil. However, traders should closely monitor late-season rainfall and harvest conditions in West and East Africa as well as South Asia, where any disruption to yields could quickly tighten an otherwise well-supplied balance sheet.

Trading Outlook (Next 1–3 Weeks)

• Buyers: Use current weakness to extend coverage modestly, focusing on competitively priced origins such as Pakistan, Ethiopia and Brazil while avoiding overstocking in case prices drift lower.
• Sellers/Exporters: Price discipline is crucial; consider locking in forward sales on any short-lived rallies triggered by logistics issues or weather headlines, as fundamentals remain broadly bearish.
• Industry users: Diversify origin mix to capture discounts and reduce dependence on single suppliers like Niger, leveraging China’s demonstrated shift towards a broader sourcing portfolio.

3‑Day Regional Price Indication (Directional)

• Egypt FOB (natural & golden): Slightly soft to sideways in EUR terms, with mild downward bias amid global competition.
• India FOB (natural & hulled): Sideways to marginally lower as exporters compete for price-sensitive demand.
• CN import parity: Stable to mildly firmer in CNY due to stronger June arrivals, but capped by abundant external supply and diversified origins.