COFCO opens large-scale Brazilian sorghum route to China with 69,000-tonne cargo

First large cargo leaves Santos

COFCO International has dispatched 69,000 tonnes of Brazilian sorghum to China, establishing the first large-scale trade route for the grain between the two countries. The shipment left the Port of Santos for Guangzhou and is expected to reach its final destination in approximately 45 days, according to Globo Rural.

The grain was loaded at the Terminal Export COFCO, or TEC, and will be unloaded at Nansha port in Guangzhou. COFCO Trading will handle distribution in the Chinese market, Brasil 247 reported. The operation was announced on Thursday, August 20, confirming a Reuters report published earlier in August.

The shipment follows a trial consignment completed in January, when Brazil exported sorghum to China for the first time since 2014. That initial volume was small enough to fit into a single container. The new bulk cargo moves the trade from market testing to a commercially significant scale.

New outlet for Brazilian producers

China uses sorghum primarily in animal feed, where it can substitute for other feed grains, including corn. The cereal is also an ingredient in baijiu, the country’s traditional distilled drink. Forbes Brasil described China as a market of between 5.5 million and 10 million tonnes annually, giving Brazilian suppliers access to a substantial source of demand.

Luiz Noto, chief executive of COFCO’s Grains and Oilseeds division in Brazil, said in a company statement that access to China creates additional marketing options for Brazilian growers and connects domestic production with an important consumer market. He added that the shipment broadens the range of agricultural commodities handled by COFCO between Brazil and strategic overseas destinations.

Further Brazilian sorghum cargoes bound for China have appeared in vessel schedules, according to Brasil 247. While scheduled shipments do not guarantee sustained trade volumes, they indicate that the Santos operation may be followed by additional bulk movements rather than remaining a one-off delivery.

Competition with corn and US sorghum

Brazilian sorghum will compete both with corn in feed formulations and with established foreign sorghum suppliers. The approval of Brazilian sellers gives Chinese buyers another option alongside grain from the United States. Brasil 247 noted that US sorghum exports to China declined during the trade conflict recorded in 2025.

For Chinese feed manufacturers, a new origin can increase procurement flexibility when prices, freight costs or political conditions affect existing supply channels. For Brazilian producers, the commercial opportunity will depend on whether sorghum can be assembled in export-scale volumes and priced competitively after inland transport, terminal handling and ocean freight.

The route also expands an agricultural relationship already dominated by larger Brazilian shipments of soybean products and beef. Sorghum remains a smaller trade, but the 69,000-tonne cargo demonstrates that the supply chain can move the grain through a major bulk terminal and deliver it directly to southern China.

Execution will determine continuity

The arrival and distribution of the inaugural cargo will provide an early test of quality compliance, logistics and demand from Chinese users. Traders will also watch subsequent vessel schedules and the relative pricing of sorghum and corn to assess whether the route can support regular business.

COFCO’s control of the loading terminal, international shipment and Chinese distribution gives the company an integrated role in the new corridor. If later cargoes proceed, Brazilian growers will gain another large-market sales channel, while Chinese buyers will add Brazil to their portfolio of sorghum origins.