China Beans Market: Stable Prices, Active Trade with South Asia and Africa

Chinese beans prices remain broadly stable to slightly softer, while trade flows stay active. Imports in early 2026 are dominated by South Asia, Southeast Asia and Africa, and exports remain robust into India, Russia, Yemen and Greece. Near-term price risk is more linked to regional harvest and logistics developments than to domestic demand shifts. China’s beans market enters May with a balanced but sensitive supply–demand structure. January–February data show imports of common beans and pulses mainly from India, Thailand and Ethiopia, with India and Thailand expanding their share noticeably. On the export side, shipments from China to India, Russia, Yemen and Greece stayed at high levels, underpinned by steady overseas demand. With Chinese FOB prices for mung, kidney and adzuki beans mostly edging down by EUR 0.01 over the second half of April, buyers face a window for tactical coverage while monitoring new-crop conditions in South and Southeast Asia.

Prices & Short-Term Trend

FOB Beijing offers in EUR show a very flat to mildly softer trend into 30 April 2026. Most grades have moved by only EUR 0.01 in recent updates, indicating a calm market with no acute supply shock.

Chinese kidney beans (large white, conventional) trade around EUR 2.02/kg FOB Beijing, only EUR 0.01 below mid-April, suggesting limited downward momentum. Organic large white kidney beans hold near EUR 2.10/kg, while organic dark red kidney beans and organic adzuki beans show similarly marginal moves, confirming a generally sideways market into early May.

Supply & Demand Flows

Market feedback for January–February 2026 indicates that China’s beans imports are concentrated in India, Thailand, Ethiopia and other South Asian, Southeast Asian and African origins. Supply from India and Thailand has increased significantly, improving availability of mung and other beans into China and helping to cap domestic price rallies.

If this pattern extends into April and May, Chinese buyers will continue to rely on these regions, with volumes highly sensitive to local harvest outcomes and logistics. A bumper crop in South or Southeast Asia would likely add exportable surplus and reinforce the current mild downward pressure on Chinese prices, while weather-related shortfalls or export restrictions could quickly tighten import supply.

On the export side, January–February shipments from China remained strong to India, Russia, Yemen and Greece, keeping export volumes at high levels. In April and beyond, this structure is likely to persist, but export performance will hinge on demand shifts in destination markets. Seasonal consumption in parts of Europe could lift demand for Chinese beans, whereas any disruption in international logistics or freight could delay shipments and temporarily increase domestic availability.

Fundamentals & Weather Outlook

Fundamentally, China’s beans sector currently balances rising import inflows with robust export demand. The small day-to-day price changes in Beijing suggest that stocks are adequate and that traders are not pricing in immediate weather or policy shocks.

In China’s key northern production and storage regions, weather into early May is mostly cool and dry. In Heilongjiang (Harbin), the next three days are forecast to be sunny to mostly cloudy with highs around 17–20°C and lows near 2–8°C, supporting early fieldwork. In Inner Mongolia (Hohhot), conditions are cloudy to partly sunny, with brief light rain and highs of about 15–22°C, which is broadly neutral for planting and logistics.

Trading Outlook & 3-Day Price Indication

Trading ideas

• Buyers in Asia and Europe may use the current flat-to-soft Chinese FOB levels to extend nearby coverage, especially for mung and dark red kidney beans, while price dips remain shallow.
• Chinese exporters should closely watch demand signals from India, Russia, Yemen and Greece; if seasonal European demand improves, forward sales could be increased before any freight or logistics bottlenecks emerge.
• Importers relying on India and Thailand should hedge against potential weather or policy disruptions by diversifying some volumes toward alternative African origins where feasible.

3-Day Directional Outlook (FOB, EUR)

• China, Beijing – Mung beans (organic and 3.8 mm up): sideways to slightly softer; expected range near current 1.56–1.47 EUR/kg, intraday moves limited.
• China, Beijing – Kidney beans (dark red, black, large white): broadly stable; current band around 1.03–2.02 EUR/kg likely to hold over the next three days.
• China, Beijing – Adzuki beans (red): mildly firm after recent small uptick; prices around 1.32–1.41 EUR/kg expected to remain supported by steady export demand.