In the 2022/2023 season, which will end on September 30, China is projected to import 2.7 million tons of sunflower meal, a 39% increase compared to the previous season, according to the Foreign Agricultural Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (FAS USDA). Sunflower meal has become more attractive to Chinese consumers after the sharp increase in soybean meal prices in the second half of the current season.

During the first eight months of the season, imports of sunflower meal reached 2.2 million tons, with the majority (74%) supplied by Ukraine.

While Ukrainian sunflower meal exports have remained stable this season, imports from Bulgaria and Russia have significantly increased. From June 2022 to May 2023, China imported 282.7 thousand tons of sunflower and rapeseed meal from Russia (compared to 73.9 thousand tons during the same period the previous year). Imports of sunflower meal from Bulgaria also increased to 599.0 thousand tons (compared to 320.7 thousand tons). The total import of meal to China during the period amounted to 4,771.2 thousand tons (compared to 4,516.7 thousand tons).

According to FAS USDA, in the 2023/2024 season, the import of sunflower meal is expected to decrease to 2.5 million tons due to lower prices of soybean meal.