Paris (Brussels Morning Newspaper) September 23, 2026 – European Union soft wheat exports for the 2026/27 marketing season reached 6.30 million metric tons by September 20, marking a 2 percent increase year-on-year. According to European Commission data released on Tuesday, shipments rose from 5.61 million tons recorded the previous week, alongside notable shifts in regional export distributions, barley trade volumes, and maize import figures.
Leading Exporters and Member State Contributions
Romania emerged as the largest exporter of soft wheat within the European Union for the season to date, accounting for 2.93 million tons.
Lithuania followed as the second-largest exporter with 1.06 million tons. Bulgaria recorded shipments totalling 0.56 million tons, Poland reached 0.51 million tons, and Germany registered 0.47 million tons.
Persistent Data Limitations and Reporting Omissions
The European Commission highlighted that several member states have experienced ongoing reporting omissions, affecting the completeness of cumulative totals.
Export data for France, which historically vies with Romania as the bloc’s largest wheat exporter, has remained incomplete since the beginning of 2024. Similarly, figures for Bulgaria and Ireland have been missing since the start of the 2023/24 marketing year, while Greek data has been unavailable since January 2026.
Developments in Barley Exports and Maize Imports
In broader grain trade figures, European Union barley exports totalled 1.78 million tons by September 20. This volume represents an increase from 1.70 million tons reported the previous week, but reflects a 41 percent decline compared to the same period in the previous year.
Meanwhile, inbound shipments of maize into the bloc advanced to 4.47 million tons for the 2026/27 season. This figure marks a weekly addition of 0.46 million tons and represents a 27 percent increase compared to volumes recorded at the corresponding stage last year.
