Chinese Beans Market: Tight Mung Bean Supply Meets Softer FOB Prices

China’s bean market in April 2026 is marked by tight domestic mung bean supply and lower export volumes, while recent FOB offers in EUR show a mild easing for most bean categories. Export value for mung beans is expected to hold broadly stable thanks to higher unit prices despite smaller volumes.

Exporters report that after a strong December 2025, Chinese mung bean exports fell in January–February 2026 as domestic supply tightened. Looking ahead to April, shipments are likely to remain subdued at around 2,000–3,000 tonnes, well below December’s 4,500 tonnes, even as global demand remains steady. At the same time, inland weather is shifting into a cool but workable spring in major producing regions, supporting fieldwork but not yet signaling a significant easing of supply constraints.

📈 Prices & Spreads

Recent FOB offers from Beijing (updated 9 April 2026) show a slightly softer tone across most beans, in contrast to the still-firm underlying mung bean balance:

• Mung beans, organic CN FOB Beijing: about EUR 1.57/kg (down from 1.59 EUR/kg).
• Mung beans, 3.8 mm up CN FOB Beijing: about EUR 1.49/kg (down from 1.51 EUR/kg).
• Kidney beans, dark red CN FOB Beijing: about EUR 1.22/kg (down from 1.24 EUR/kg).
• Adzuki beans, red CN FOB Beijing: about EUR 1.31–1.39/kg, marginally firmer than early March.

This slight easing versus late March suggests some buyer resistance at earlier highs and a modest improvement in nearby availability, even though exporters still characterize mung bean supply as tight and prices as having risen versus 2025 on a year-on-year basis.

Product	Origin	Spec	FOB Price (EUR/kg)	1 week ago (EUR/kg)
Mung beans organic	CN	99.5% purity	1.57	1.59
Mung beans 3.8 mm up	CN	99.5% purity	1.49	1.51
Kidney beans dark red	CN	99.5% purity	1.22	1.24
Adzuki beans red	CN	5.0 mm up	1.31–1.39	1.30–1.38

🌍 Supply, Demand & Exports

Exporter feedback for 2025 and early 2026 points to a clear pattern in China’s mung bean export flow. December 2025 exports reached around 4,500 tonnes, but domestic tightness in January–February 2026 forced exporters to reduce shipments. For April 2026, available volumes are expected to stay low at roughly 2,000–3,000 tonnes as domestic inventories are further drawn down.

Despite lower volumes, higher FOB prices mean April export value is projected at USD 3–4 million, broadly stable to slightly higher than late 2025. External demand within Asia remains steady according to recent market commentary, with China still a key supplier of mung, adzuki and kidney beans, even as kidney bean exports face competition from alternative origins and some reduced planting in China.

📊 Fundamentals & Weather Context

The fundamental driver behind constrained mung bean exports is tight domestic supply and inventory drawdown, rather than a collapse in demand. Strong overall Chinese goods trade in January–February 2026 points to healthy export logistics and macro demand conditions, which indirectly support pulse exports when supply allows.

Weather-wise, China is now firmly in spring. In northern producing regions such as Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia, temperatures in early April range from below freezing at night to cool days, with occasional strong winds and lingering snow in some localities, but field operations and spring ploughing are progressing with increasing use of mechanization. Southern and central regions experience typical spring rainfall and milder temperatures, supporting planting of alternative crops but not yet signaling a rapid recovery of mung bean supplies.

📆 Outlook & Trading Strategy

Given the exporters’ expectation that April mung bean exports will stay restricted and that export value will be supported by higher prices, the near-term market tone is cautiously firm on fundamentals, even if recent offers show a modest pullback from late-March highs.

💡 Trading outlook (next 4–6 weeks)

• Exporters in China: Prioritize higher-value markets and smaller shipment sizes for mung beans, as tight domestic supply and limited April exportable surplus favor selective sales rather than volume-driven strategies.
• International buyers in Asia & Middle East: Consider securing short-term coverage for mung beans at current slightly lower EUR prices, as fundamentals still argue for a firm undertone if domestic Chinese demand strengthens into early summer.
• Kidney & adzuki buyers: Leverage the mildly softer Chinese FOB market to diversify origin; alternative exporters such as Brazil and the UK show broadly comparable price levels, offering some bargaining power on specification and shipment windows.

📉 Short-term price indication (3-day, directional)

• China FOB Beijing – mung beans (organic & 3.8 mm up): Sideways to slightly firm in EUR, with tight April export volumes limiting downside but recent easing capping gains.
• China FOB Beijing – kidney beans (dark red, black, white): Slightly soft bias as current offers sit below last week’s levels and export competition from other origins remains present.
• China FOB Beijing – adzuki beans: Stable to marginally firm, supported by steady regional demand and limited top-quality supply.