China barley imports are estimated at 2.023 million tonnes for 2002/2003 crop year (July/June). It looks almost impossible that the totals for 2003/2004 will reach 2 million tonnes again, analysts revealed. Anyway, stocks in China must have run down to bare minima. It is said that Chinese barley and adjuncts have gained to the detriment of imported barley, but on the other hand the Chinese beer output is also rising constantly, last year by 5,6 million hl in spite of the SARS disease early in the year. Since 2000 beer output went up by 18 million HL. In theory that required additional barley imports of 350,000 tonnes, which, of course, were never realized. During the past months shipments of Australian and Canadian malting barley to China were done by container, as it was cheaper than bulk freight. Reported prices CIF China were around US $ 190.

18 February, 2004