Australia's canola exports surge 41% in August driven by China

Australia's canola exports surged in August 2026, reaching 299.1 thousand tons, a 41% increase from the previous month's 211.6 thousand tons, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. This growth was largely driven by China, which emerged as the top buyer, importing 167.5 thousand tons. France and Nepal followed as the second and third largest buyers, with 64.7 thousand tons and 13.4 thousand tons, respectively.

The August 2026 exports also marked a significant rise compared to the same month in 2025, when Australia shipped 178.2 thousand tons. The increase reflects China's return to the Australian market, a shift from the previous year when the UAE was the largest buyer.

Despite the strong performance, canola exports still lag behind wheat in planned shipments for the start of the 2026/27 marketing year. Lachstock Consulting reports that around 333 thousand tons of canola are scheduled for October, November shipment, compared to over 1.5 million tons of wheat.

Looking ahead, Lachstock forecasts Australia's 2026/27 canola crop at 7.86 million tons, with exports expected to hit a record 6.55 million tons. Of this volume, approximately 2.2 million tons could be destined for China.