Sesame Market 2026: High Chinese Stocks, Softer Asia Prices and India’s New Role

Chinese sesame demand remains structurally strong, but high Qingdao stocks and softer prices in Japan and South Korea are keeping the global market well supplied. At the same time, India is shifting from traditional exporter to a major import‑processing‑export hub, while Pakistan and Brazil gain ground as key origins. The international sesame market in 2026 is more diversified and competitive than in previous seasons. China still anchors global demand with 1.5–1.6 million tonnes of annual use versus only about 300,000 tonnes of domestic production, but elevated port inventories and stable Chinese import prices are tempering near‑term upside. Japan and South Korea show robust underlying consumption yet face lower average import prices, reflecting abundant supply and broader origin choice. India, Egypt and Türkiye are reshaping trade flows through growing processing, blending and value‑added products, while currency moves and regional weather risks in Africa and Asia remain important watchpoints.

Prices

Spot and offer indications confirm a broadly soft-to-stable price environment, with modest easing in recent weeks:

• India FOB New Delhi natural white sesame (around 99–99.95% purity) is mostly in the EUR 1.10–1.20/kg range equivalent, while higher-grade hulled EU-grade lots cluster around EUR 1.30–1.40/kg, reflecting small stepwise declines since mid-August based on recent offer adjustments.
• Premium black sesame types from India still command a notable uplift, trading approximately in the EUR 1.65–1.90/kg band, yet these too have edged slightly lower in late August and early September, consistent with broader easing in Asian import prices.
• Egyptian natural sesame offers are relatively firm versus mainstream origins, with white material near EUR 1.35–1.40/kg and golden types close to EUR 1.90–2.00/kg FOB, supported by tight local production and stronger bakery demand in Egypt and nearby markets.
• In Europe, imported Chadian hulled sesame delivered to Germany is indicated around EUR 1.60/kg FCA Berlin, effectively flat over the last fortnight and highlighting comfortable availability of African origins into the EU.

Supply & Demand

China – high stocks, diversified origins
China remains the central force in sesame, consuming 1.5–1.6 million tonnes per year against only about 300,000 tonnes of domestic output, which enforces a large and persistent import requirement. The sourcing base is broadening: Pakistan and Brazil are gaining share alongside core African suppliers, while Niger alone supplied roughly 450,000 tonnes in 2025 and over 280,000 tonnes during January–July 2026. As of 7 September, Qingdao port stocks are still very high at about 379,166 tonnes, dominated by Niger, Togo/Mali, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Pakistan, ensuring ample nearby coverage for Chinese buyers and capping short‑term price upside at the port.

Japan – softer prices, strict quality
Japan’s sesame imports slipped modestly to around 186,000 tonnes in 2025 from 193,000 tonnes in 2024, but the more striking move is in price: the average 2025 import cost dropped about 15% to USD 1,625/tonne. January–July 2026 imports fell only 5% year-on-year to 101,234 tonnes, whereas the average import price declined 18% to USD 1,369/tonne, and July alone saw prices near USD 1,183/tonne, 27% below a year earlier. Nigeria remains the leading supplier, followed by Tanzania, Togo and others, yet pesticide-residue and food-safety compliance continue to be decisive entry barriers, shaping which origins can benefit from Japan’s price‑sensitive but quality‑driven demand.

South Korea – rising volumes, more competition
South Korea consumes around 90,000 tonnes annually with minimal domestic production. Imports rose from about 82,200 tonnes in 2024 to 95,200 tonnes in 2025 (+16%), while average import prices fell roughly 18% to USD 1,764/tonne, reflecting broader global softness. Government, China‑FTA and private channels together determine flows, but tender data for 2026 so far suggest a slower-than-usual pace, with only two to three tenders completed out of a typical six to seven. Pakistan and African suppliers are increasingly winning Korean business as they upgrade sorting and quality, gradually eroding India’s traditional dominance.

India – from exporter to import-processing hub
After four consecutive poor crops, India’s domestic sesame availability has tightened, yet exports have remained resilient, rising from around 242,000 to 268,000 tonnes. To bridge the gap, India imported roughly 166,544 tonnes in 2025, increasingly from Nigeria, Sudan and Somalia, and is re-exporting processed seeds and value‑added products to more than 90 countries. With global sesame traded across some 135–140 countries, India’s evolution into an import‑processing‑export hub is reshaping trade flows and price discovery, especially for hulled and EU‑compliant specifications.

Egypt and Türkiye – processing and tahini demand
Egypt is incorporating more Brazilian sesame into blends with Ethiopian, Sudanese, Pakistani and Nigerian origins, sometimes at 30–50% Brazilian share and occasionally at 100%, highlighting Brazil’s growing role in food formulations. Official import statistics may understate true availability, as an additional 40,000–60,000 tonnes likely enter via open cross‑border trade, while certain domestic production segments could fall below 20,000 tonnes in 2026 as farmers switch crops. Türkiye imported around 223,000 tonnes in 2025, up over 8% year-on-year, with roughly 60% of usage tied to tahini and the rest largely to bakery applications; despite inflation above 35%, lira depreciation and high interest rates, local processing and exports of 20,000–25,000 tonnes of sesame products to Europe and the Middle East continue to support strong underlying demand.

Fundamentals & External Drivers

Stocks and trade competition
The combination of high Qingdao inventories, growing Brazilian and Pakistani export capacity, and diversified African supply points to a market that is comfortably supplied in the short run. Recent Chinese port price assessments for imported sesame show largely steady quotations across Sudanese, Ethiopian, Nigerien and other origins over the first week of September, with no day‑to‑day changes reported on key Chinese price platforms, reinforcing the message of a balanced to slightly oversupplied spot market.

Currency effects
Foreign-exchange moves are adding another layer to sesame pricing. Between 31 August and 7 September, the Indian rupee and Nigerian naira both strengthened modestly against the US dollar, while the Korean won and Japanese yen also firmed. By contrast, the Turkish lira weakened slightly over the same period. These shifts can compress local-currency returns for exporters in India, Nigeria and Pakistan, potentially encouraging higher dollar-denominated ask prices over time, even if global demand remains price‑sensitive.

Weather and crop risks
Seasonal outlooks for West Africa and the Sahel, including Niger, Nigeria and Chad, broadly point to below-average to average rainfall across key July–September periods, a pattern that can cap yields and increase variability in rain‑fed sesame production if confirmed on the ground. In parts of East Africa, including Ethiopia and Sudan, regional climate forums also highlight risks of below-normal rainfall in mid‑2026, which could constrain future exportable surpluses if adverse conditions persist into the main growing windows. For now, however, existing carry‑over stocks and diversified sourcing are offsetting these weather‑related uncertainties.

Short-Term Outlook & Trading Guidance

Three‑month market view (September–November 2026)
Global sesame fundamentals currently argue for a sideways to mildly softer price bias into late 2026, assuming no major weather or logistical shock. High Chinese port stocks near 380,000 tonnes, easing import prices in Japan and South Korea, and India’s active re‑export role collectively limit upside, even as structural demand growth from younger, health‑conscious consumers in China and India underpins longer‑term bullish narratives.

• For buyers (roasters, tahini makers, bakery and snack firms): Consider extending coverage modestly for Q4 2026 while prices remain under pressure, especially for standard white and hulled grades from India and Africa. Maintain flexibility on origin where possible to benefit from competition between African, Pakistani and Brazilian offers, but keep a close eye on Japanese-style residue and food-safety requirements when servicing high‑standard markets.
• For exporters and traders: Focus on differentiation through sorting quality, residue compliance and documentation rather than price alone, particularly for Japan and South Korea. With currencies in several producing countries having recently firmed, hedge FX risk where feasible and avoid aggressive forward selling at thin margins until new‑crop volumes and regional weather outcomes are clearer.
• For processors in India, Egypt and Türkiye: The current soft global price backdrop favours securing upstream seed supplies and investing in higher‑value processed products (hulled, roasted, tahini, pastes and snacks). Given the macro challenges in Türkiye and parts of North Africa, prudent inventory and working‑capital management remain critical to navigate currency and interest‑rate volatility.

3‑Day Directional Outlook (key reference regions, in EUR terms)

• China import parity (African origins via Qingdao): Stable in the very short term, with high stocks and unchanged Chinese port offers likely to keep CIF‑equivalent EUR values broadly flat over the next three trading days.
• India FOB New Delhi (white & hulled): Slightly softer to stable, as competitive pressure from Pakistan, Brazil and African suppliers continues; minor day‑to‑day EUR fluctuations mainly reflect FX moves against the US dollar.
• EU landed (hulled African sesame): Steady, with FCA prices around EUR 1.60/kg for mainstream hulled types expected to hold in the near term amid good availability and lack of immediate demand shocks.