Mexico Corn Export Market -- HS Code 1005 Trade Data & Price Trend (Feb 2025)

Mexico Corn Export (HS 1005) Key Takeaways

Mexico's corn exports under HS Code 1005 in February 2025 reveal a dual market: high-value seed corn (46.6% of value) dominates premium buyers in Guatemala and El Salvador, while bulk shipments to the U.S. drive volume. Export value surged 51% to $17.71 million despite a 15% volume drop, signaling price-driven growth. The market is highly concentrated, with 93.5% of value tied to a few high-frequency buyers like Monsanto, creating reliance risks. This analysis, based on cleanly processed Customs data from the yTrade database, highlights Mexico's strategic balance between bulk and premium corn trade.

Mexico Corn Export (HS 1005) Background

What is HS Code 1005?

HS Code 1005 refers to corn (maize), a staple crop with broad applications in food production, animal feed, and industrial uses like ethanol. Its global demand remains stable due to its role as a key input for both human consumption and livestock industries. Mexico's corn export market is particularly significant, given its agricultural output and trade relationships.

Current Context and Strategic Position

Mexico's General Foreign Trade Rules for 2025, effective from January 1 to December 31, introduce relevant changes impacting trade flows [GT Law]. These updates underscore the need for vigilance in monitoring Mexico's corn export trends under HS Code 1005. As a major producer, Mexico's trade data reflects its strategic position in global supply chains, especially for North American markets. Tracking these flows is critical to understanding shifts in demand, pricing, and regulatory compliance.

Mexico Corn Export (HS 1005) Price Trend

Key Observations

Mexico's corn export value for February 2025 reached 17.71 million USD, with a unit price of $0.53 per kg, indicating a significant uptick in revenue despite mixed volume movements.

Price and Volume Dynamics

The Mexico Corn Export trend showed a strong sequential rise in value from January's 13.87 million USD, driven by a 51% surge in unit price to $0.53 per kg, even as export volume dipped by 15% to 33.71 million kg. This price spike aligns with potential adjustments under Mexico's updated General Foreign Trade Rules for 2025 [GT Law], which may have influenced export economics by easing trade barriers or responding to global corn supply tightness. The hs code 1005 value trend reflects typical agricultural volatility, where price gains often offset volume shifts due to seasonal demand cycles or policy-driven market reactions.

Mexico Corn Export (HS 1005) HS Code Breakdown

Product Specialization and Concentration

According to yTrade data for February 2025, Mexico's export under HS Code 1005 is dominated by seed corn, specifically the maize seed sub-code, which holds a 46.6% value share despite only 12.7% of the weight, due to its high unit price of 1.93 USD per kilogram. This indicates a specialized, high-value product focus. An extreme price anomaly is present for some non-seed corn exports with unit prices as low as 0.02 USD per kilogram, which has been isolated from the main analysis pool.

Value-Chain Structure and Grade Analysis

The remaining exports fall into two categories: seed corn with unit prices ranging from 0.53 to 1.80 USD per kilogram, representing a finished, high-grade product, and other non-seed corn at 0.04 to 0.32 USD per kilogram, which is bulk, lower-grade commodity corn often traded on market indices. This split shows a mix of differentiated goods and fungible bulk trade in HS Code 1005 exports from Mexico.

Strategic Implication and Pricing Power

Exporters of seed corn have greater pricing power and should focus on quality control and certification to maintain premium margins, while bulk corn traders need to monitor commodity markets closely due to price volatility. Analyzing HS Code 1005 trade data suggests that diversifying into higher-value segments could enhance overall export profitability for Mexican suppliers.

Table: Mexico HS Code 1005) Breakdown Details (Source: yTrade)

Check Detailed HS Code 1005 Breakdown

Mexico Corn Export (HS 1005) Destination Countries

Geographic Concentration and Dominant Role

The United States was the dominant destination for Mexico's corn exports in February 2025. It accounted for 65.45% of the total export weight, but only 5.45% of the total value. This large gap between weight share and value share indicates the U.S. primarily buys bulk, lower-value corn. Shipments to Guatemala and El Salvador show the opposite pattern, with their value shares (26.31% and 26.26%) far exceeding their weight shares (2.19% and 1.83%). This signals these countries pay a premium for higher-grade corn.

Destination Countries Clusters and Underlying Causes

The trade data reveals two main clusters for Mexico's corn exports. The first is a Volume/Hub cluster, led by the United States. Its massive weight share points to its role as a major processing or consumption center for bulk corn. Venezuela and Switzerland also show high weight shares relative to value, further indicating bulk trade flows. The second is a High-Yield cluster, consisting of Guatemala and El Salvador. Their high value per kilogram suggests strong demand for premium corn, likely for direct human consumption rather than animal feed or processing.

Forward Strategy and Supply Chain Implications

The key implication for Mexico's corn export strategy is balancing these two markets. The high-volume trade with the U.S. requires efficient, low-cost logistics for bulk shipments. Meanwhile, the premium markets in Central America offer higher margins. Focusing on maintaining quality and reliable supply chains for these buyers is crucial for maximizing returns. The news about Mexico's 2025 General Foreign Trade Rules does not provide specific details that directly explain these corn trade patterns, so its impact remains unclear for this analysis period.

Table: Mexico Corn (HS 1005) Top Destination Countries (Source: yTrade)

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Mexico Corn (HS 1005) Buyers Analysis

Buyer Market Concentration and Dominance

In February 2025, the Mexico Corn Export market showed high concentration among buyers. According to yTrade data, the high-value, high-frequency segment dominated with 93.52% of the trade value. This group also accounted for 78.54% of shipment frequency and 94.26% of quantity, making large, regular purchases the typical trade pattern for Mexico Corn Export buyers. The data confirms that a small core of buyers drives most of the hs code 1005 trade data.

Strategic Buyer Clusters and Trade Role

The remaining three segments of buyers—high-value low-frequency, low-value high-frequency, and low-value low-frequency—contributed minimally, with combined value shares under 7%. The dominant high-value high-frequency buyers, including companies like Monsanto Company, indicate a Direct-to-Factory commercial persona for hs code 1005 buyers. This suggests that manufacturers or large end-users are sourcing corn directly from Mexico, rather than through intermediaries. The low-value segments involve smaller or infrequent buyers, but their impact is marginal.

Sales Strategy and Vulnerability

For Mexican exporters, sales strategy should prioritize nurturing relationships with the key high-value buyers to maintain revenue stability. However, heavy reliance on this segment creates vulnerability to demand shifts or disruptions. Diversifying into other buyer clusters could reduce risk. Mexico's 2025 foreign trade rules [GT Law] may influence export processes, so staying informed on regulatory changes is advised for adapting sales models in the Mexico Corn Export market.

Table: Mexico Corn (HS 1005) Top Buyers List (Source: yTrade)

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Action Plan for Corn Market Operation and Expansion

• Segment your Mexico Corn Export portfolio using hs code 1005 trade data to separate high-value seed corn from bulk commodity corn, because this allows you to apply premium pricing for certified products and competitive pricing for bulk sales to maximize overall revenue.
• Prioritize relationship management with high-value, high-frequency buyers identified in the data, as these large direct purchasers drive most of the value in Mexico's Corn Export market and provide stable, recurring orders.
• Develop separate logistics strategies for the high-volume US market and high-margin Central American markets, optimizing the Corn supply chain for cost-efficient bulk shipping to the US and reliable, quality-assured deliveries to premium buyers.
• Use hs code 1005 trade data to monitor real-time shifts in buyer behavior and destination demand, enabling quick adjustments in sales focus to reduce over-reliance on any single market or client segment.

Take Action Now —— Explore Mexico Corn Export Data

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is driving the recent changes in Mexico Corn Export 2025 February?

Mexico's corn export value surged to $17.71 million in February 2025, driven by a 51% unit price increase to $0.53/kg, despite a 15% volume drop. This reflects agricultural volatility, with price gains offsetting volume shifts, likely influenced by policy adjustments or global supply tightness.

Q2. Who are the main destination countries of Mexico Corn (HS Code 1005) 2025 February?

The U.S. dominated with 65.45% of export weight but only 5.45% of value, while Guatemala and El Salvador accounted for 26.31% and 26.26% of value, respectively, despite minimal weight shares (2.19% and 1.83%).

Q3. Why does the unit price differ across destination countries of Mexico Corn Export?

Price differences stem from product specialization: the U.S. buys bulk, low-value corn (as low as $0.02/kg), while Guatemala and El Salvador pay premiums ($0.53–$1.80/kg) for high-grade seed corn, which holds 46.6% of export value.

Q4. What should exporters in Mexico focus on in the current Corn export market?

Exporters should prioritize high-value seed corn buyers (like Guatemala/El Salvador) for margins, while maintaining bulk trade with the U.S. for volume. Nurturing relationships with dominant high-frequency buyers (93.52% of trade value) is critical to revenue stability.

Q5. What does this Mexico Corn export pattern mean for buyers in partner countries?

U.S. buyers benefit from stable bulk supply, while Central American buyers secure premium seed corn. However, heavy reliance on Mexican exports may pose risks if demand shifts or supply chains face disruptions.

Q6. How is Corn typically used in this trade flow?

Seed corn (high-value) is likely for cultivation or direct consumption, while bulk corn (low-value) serves industrial processing or animal feed, reflecting Mexico’s dual role in differentiated and commodity trade.