Chinese mung bean export prices are anchored by Japan/Korea at 1.50–1.55 €/kg FOB, while Southeast Asia cuts volumes above 1.40 €/kg. See key buyers, risks and outlook.
Chinese export mung bean prices remain firm and range-bound, anchored by steady, price-insensitive demand from Japan and South Korea at around 1.50–1.55 €/kg FOB for large, uniform green beans, while more price-sensitive Southeast Asian buyers are trimming August volumes as offers move above 1.40 €/kg.
The global beans complex is trading sideways overall, but China’s green mung segment shows clear regional divergence. Summer natto and vegetarian consumption in Japan/Korea keeps premium-grade sprouts and bright green beans well supported, effectively setting the export price floor. By contrast, Southeast Asian buyers for sprouts, desserts and starch have pushed back after July’s forced price follow-up, cutting August call-offs and switching to Myanmar/Thai origin when the Chinese premium widens. Price-sensitive Middle East/Africa demand remains thin at current Chinese levels, while organic mung flows to the EU and North America move steadily at a structural premium without seasonal spikes.
Prices
Feedback from exporters indicates that Japan and South Korea, which together absorb roughly 44–55% or more of Chinese mung bean exports, are accepting offers of about 1.50–1.55 €/kg FOB for large, well-sorted bright green beans, with very low price sensitivity and full acceptance of specification-compliant cargoes.
In Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia), buyers for sprouts, sweet paste and starch extraction show strong resistance once Chinese FOB prices exceed about 1.40 €/kg. After following the July up-move, they are actively pushing prices down in August, cutting volumes and shifting back to Myanmar/Thai origin when the spread to Chinese beans widens.
Regional Demand & Trade Flows
Japan / Korea: Anchor buyers with low price sensitivity
Japan and Korea focus on sprouting beans and specified bright green lots for natto and vegetarian products. Their summer restocking is ongoing, with limited price elasticity: as long as quality and colour standards are met, they absorb available large, uniform material around 1.50–1.55 €/kg FOB, effectively anchoring Chinese export quotations at these levels.
Southeast Asia: Volumes trimmed as prices rise
In Southeast Asia, mung beans are used for bean sprouts, green bean desserts and starch. Buyers are highly price-driven. Having been forced to follow the July price increase, they reacted in August by aggressively negotiating lower offers and cutting shipment volumes. Whenever Chinese quotes climb above roughly 1.40 €/kg FOB, importers increasingly pivot to Myanmar and Thai supplies, especially for more basic sprouting and processing uses.
EU / North America: Small, premium organic niche
In the EU and North America, demand focuses on organic mung beans and small lots of premium bright green beans. These flows command roughly 35% price premium over conventional product and move mainly on certification and quality credentials. There is no pronounced summer demand peak, and trade is largely decoupled from China’s hot-season consumption pattern.
Middle East / Africa: Priced out at current Chinese levels
Middle East and African buyers use mung beans in low-budget cooling drinks and basic foods, making them highly price sensitive. At around 1.44 €/kg FOB, standard Chinese green beans are seen as expensive, so many importers prefer cheaper Myanmar or Indian/Pakistani origins. Chinese suppliers hold a narrow niche where "non-GMO" claims and colour sorting justify a small premium.
Fundamentals & Weather
Recent price prints from Beijing suggest a mildly firmer tone in conventional mung beans since mid-July, with conventional 3.8 mm+ moving from about 1.43 to 1.45 €/kg while organic eased fractionally from around 1.54 to 1.53 €/kg. This indicates that physical support comes mainly from conventional export channels to Asia, while the organic niche is already well supplied.
Forward-looking climate research continues to flag an increased probability of heat anomalies over central and eastern China in summer 2026, potentially raising drought and irrigation risks in key grain belts, including some mung-producing areas. While this has not yet translated into immediate supply stress, it argues for keeping some weather risk premium in forward positions, especially if July–August heat waves intensify.
Trading Outlook
- Chinese exporters: For premium JP/KR business, maintain offers near 1.50–1.55 €/kg FOB for large, uniform bright green beans, prioritising quality and logistics reliability over marginal price gains.
- Targeting Southeast Asia: To defend market share, structure more flexible pricing around the 1.38–1.40 €/kg band and consider differentiated specs to compete with Myanmar/Thai origins without eroding JP/KR benchmarks.
- Importers in EU/NA: For organic mung needs through Q4, gradual forward coverage at current levels around 1.50–1.55 €/kg seems reasonable, given the stable premium and latent weather risks in Chinese production regions.
- Middle East/Africa buyers: Continue to treat Chinese beans as a niche quality option; use competing origins as the main price reference and step into Chinese supply only when discounts narrow to within a modest quality-adjusted premium.