Italy has quietly become the key European buyer of Ukrainian corn in the 2025/26 marketing season. According to trade analysts, Italy not only kept its leading position among EU importers but also widened the gap with other buyers, turning into one of the most predictable outlets for Ukrainian grain under war-time logistics constraints.
In October 2025 alone, Ukraine shipped about 263,000 tonnes of corn to Italy, and from 1 to 24 November another 300,000 tonnes followed. Over the same period, Spain – which earlier dominated as a corn buyer – took just 46,000 tonnes in October and 133,000 tonnes in November, highlighting how trade flows have changed over the past two seasons.
How Italy pulled ahead of other EU markets
The current trend did not appear overnight. Already in the 2024/25 season Italy became the main EU importer of Ukrainian corn, while Spain sharply reduced purchases. In 2025 the divergence only deepened: Italy continued to lock in Ukrainian volumes, whereas other buyers diversified towards alternative origins or relied more on domestic crops.
Analysts point out that Turkey, for example, is now buying less Ukrainian corn thanks to a good domestic harvest and cheaper local grain. For Ukraine this means that part of the Black Sea demand has shifted back into the EU, with Italy acting as the anchor customer that supports export volumes even when other markets turn more volatile.
A tougher, more competitive EU corn market
At the same time, the wider EU corn market is becoming structurally more challenging. More origins are competing for feed and industrial demand, and buyers are highly price-sensitive in the current macro environment. Compared with 2024, total shipments of Ukrainian corn to key EU destinations are lower, underscoring both stronger competition and the impact of logistics risks.
For Ukrainian exporters, this puts a premium on reliability: consistent quality, predictable delivery windows and flexible contract structures. Italian buyers seek not only price but also stable supply for their feed, starch and ethanol industries, and are ready to work with partners who can ensure performance despite infrastructure attacks and corridor disruptions.
What this means for investors and traders
- Focus on strategic offtakers. Italy’s growing share in Ukrainian corn exports suggests that long-term offtake agreements with Italian feed and processing companies may provide more stable margins compared with purely spot sales.
- Logistics optimisation. Investments into port, rail and river logistics that prioritise Italian-bound flows – including efficient loading at Black Sea and Danube terminals – can secure higher utilisation of assets.
- Risk diversification. With Spain and Turkey buying less, exporters need a broader mix of EU and MENA customers, using Italy as a base load while opportunistically serving other markets when price spreads are attractive.
- Value-added products. Over the medium term, there is room for Ukrainian players to move from raw grain to corn-based ingredients and feed products, deepening cooperation with Italian food and feed manufacturers.
If current patterns hold, Italy could remain the primary gateway for Ukrainian corn into the EU, shaping investment decisions in storage, logistics and trading strategies for the next few seasons.
