Mexico imported a record 12.28 million tons of corn in the first half of 2026
Yellow corn for livestock feed and industry drove the record; purchases of white corn — the tortilla staple — fell 15.9% thanks to a larger domestic harvest.
Mexico imported 12.28 million tons of corn in the first half of 2026, the highest volume ever recorded for a January–June period, according to an analysis of foreign-trade figures by the Agricultural Markets Consulting Group (GCMA). The volume rose 8.6% from the same period of 2025 and was worth 2.539 billion dollars.
Almost all of the increase came from yellow corn, which goes to livestock feed and industrial uses: 11.70 million tons were imported, 10.1% more than a year earlier, mostly from the United States, the agricultural consultancy reported.
Purchases of white corn — the variety used for masa and tortillas — moved in the opposite direction, falling 15.9% to 490,000 tons. According to GCMA, that decline reflects greater availability of domestically grown grain. Overall, imports of grains and oilseeds grew 6.3% in the semester, and Mexico remains the world's largest corn importer.
What it means for your table in Cancún
The difference between the two types of corn matters for household budgets. The import record is concentrated in yellow corn, whose cost indirectly influences products such as chicken, eggs, pork and dairy because it is a key input for animal feed. White corn for tortillas, by contrast, is relying less on imports this year precisely because the national harvest was larger — a factor that supports a stable supply for tortilla shops.
To compare basic-basket prices locally, Mexico's consumer protection agency Profeco publishes the "Quién es Quién en los Precios" price-tracking program on its website (gob.mx/profeco), where shoppers can look up tortilla and grocery prices by store and by city, including the Cancún area. Industry specialists note that the import trend in the second half of the year will depend on livestock-feed demand, international grain prices and the performance of Mexico's domestic harvest.
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