Sesame seeds: China and South Korea increase imports significantly
January 9, 2025 at 12:18 PM ,
Der AUDITOR
India under high competitive pressure
The situation on the Indian sesame seed market shows little change in the new year. Demand remains low and prices have fallen by around 8% in recent weeks; current indications are USD 1,880-1,920/mt FOB India. According to market experts, this is mainly due to strong competition from other producing countries and geopolitical tensions are also making life difficult for Indian exporters. They are currently reckoning that prices will continue to decline in the near future.
Significantly higher imports in China and South Korea
China, meanwhile, recorded significantly higher sesame seed imports than in the previous season. In the period January-October 2024, the country imported 958,692 mt of sesame seeds, compared to just 779,040 mt in the same period in 2023 – an increase of 23%. The average import price fell from USD 1,668/mt to USD 1,637/mt. Imports from Niger and Nigeria rose from 163,446 mt in 2023 to 283,364 mt in 2024 (both Jan-Oct). Imports from Tanzania also increased noticeably from 126,014 mt to 138,252 mt, although the average price declined significantly from USD 1,840/mt to USD 1,558/mt. Mozambique also supplied more sesame seeds to China, totalling 86,227 mt in the period mentioned.
South Korean sesame seed imports also increased by a whopping 20% year-on-year between January and October 2024. The country imported 68,536 mt of sesame seeds during this period, compared to just 57,050 mt in the same period last year. The import value rose by 17% to just under USD 148.92 million during this period, while the average export price was slightly lower than in the previous year at USD 2.226/mt. Fewer goods were imported from China and Nigeria, while India increased its shipments by 17% to 18,141 mt.
Nigeria significantly increases sesame seed shipments to the USA
In contrast to China and South Korea, US sesame seed imports fell in the period January-September 2024, albeit only by a moderate 1%. The country imported 24,176 mt of sesame seeds in 2023, compared to 23,963 mt in 2024. However, the average price rose by 1% to 2,606 mt. India remains the most important supplier, but suffered a decline of 2.9% in its shipments to the USA. Guatemala (-34.8%) and Mexico (-30.2%) also recorded declines, while countries such as Pakistan (+44.5%) and Nigeria (+87.9%) were able to significantly increase their shipments.
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- price chart, sesame seeds, hulled, mechanically dried, 99.95%, India
- price chart, sesame seeds, unhulled, 99.95%, India
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