Imports of corn from Mexico from the United States fell 6% in the first quarter of 2020, to 3 million 435,000 tons.

In terms of value, these purchases totaled $ 659 million, reflecting a 5% drop, at the annual rate, according to data from the United States Department of Agriculture.

Corn is a cereal that is grown worldwide and is one of the most consumed foods on the planet. The main component of the corn kernel is starch (72% to 73% of the kernel weight), followed by protein (8% to 11 percent).

The corn grain is used directly for food and feed (production of beef, pork and poultry, and dairy products).

Corn is also processed to produce food and feed ingredients (such as high-fructose corn syrup, corn starch, and lysine), or industrial products such as ethanol and polylactic acid (PLA).

Oil, flour and sugar are also extracted from corn, with various uses in the food, medicine and cosmetic industries.

In addition, there are specific types of corn used for direct human consumption, such as popcorn and sweet corn.

Corn imports

Purchases of this cereal from Mexico from the United States totaled $ 2.78 billion in all of last year, a lower amount compared to $ 3.118 billion in 2018.

Likewise, measured in volume, there was a drop in imports of corn from Mexico from its northern neighbor, going from 16 million 772,000 tons in 2018 to 14 million 504,000 tons in 2019.

The United States is the largest corn exporter in the world and Mexico one of the main importers.