Grain trade serves as a vital pillar in the economic relationship between China and Saudi Arabia, with China’s grain exports to Saudi Arabia witnessing consistently massive volumes in recent years. As Saudi Arabia focuses on food security amid its limited arable land, China, as a major grain-producing nation, has become a key supplier.
Official data reveals striking figures: From 2020 to 2023, China’s total grain exports to Saudi Arabia exceeded 8 million metric tons. Wheat, as the core export variety, accounted for over 60% of the total, with annual exports averaging 1.2 million metric tons. Meanwhile, corn exports grew rapidly, surging from 800,000 metric tons in 2021 to 1.1 million metric tons in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 37.5%. Additionally, minor grains like barley and sorghum also contributed significantly, with combined annual exports maintaining around 500,000 metric tons.
China's grain production bases are not concentrated in a single city, but form a pattern centered on three major economic circles and radiating to surrounding producing areas: The Northeast Economic Circle, with Heilongjiang and Jilin at its core, is China's largest commodity grain base, producing corn, soybeans, and spring wheat; The Huang-Huai-Hai Economic Circle (covering Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Shandong, and parts of Henan) is a major producer of winter wheat and corn, accounting for nearly 60% of the country's total wheat output; The Yangtze River Middle and Lower Reaches Economic Circle (including Jiangsu, Hubei, Hunan, etc.) mainly focuses on rice production and is the most important grain supply zone in southern China.
China's three major grain-producing economic circles all have nearby ports for grain export: the Northeast Economic Circle relies on Dalian Port and Yingkou Port; the Huang-Huai-Hai Economic Circle mainly uses Tianjin Port and Qingdao Port; and the Yangtze River Middle and Lower Reaches Economic Circle is centered on Shanghai Port and Ningbo-Zhoushan Port. Departing from the above ports, whether shipping to Riyadh (via Jeddah or Dammam for transshipment), Jeddah, Dammam in Saudi Arabia, or exporting to other Middle Eastern countries such as the UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait, please feel free to consult our company for specific sea freight quotes at any time.