Ukraine is facing increasing competition in the global corn market. Russian attacks on port infrastructure in the Odesa region and disruptions to maritime shipments have forced exporters to redirect part of their grain through the Danube, railways and road routes. However, these alternatives have lower capacity and higher logistics costs, weakening the competitiveness of Ukrainian grain. Last month, Ukrainian shipments declined by 52%.
One of Ukraine’s main competitors is becoming Argentina. The country is completing the harvest of a large 2025/26 corn crop estimated at 71.7 million tonnes, almost 20% above its previous record. Large grain supplies and stable port operations are allowing Argentine exporters to expand aggressively into markets where Ukrainian corn has traditionally held strong positions.
The expansion is particularly visible in North Africa. Between January and July 2026, Argentina increased corn exports to the region by 45% to 6.5 million tonnes. Shipments to Morocco jumped by 133% to 1.55 million tonnes, exports to Egypt increased by 48% to 2.4 million tonnes, while supplies to Algeria rose by 10% to 2.4 million tonnes. Egypt, Tunisia and Libya are among the markets where Ukrainian grain has traditionally maintained a significant presence.
At the same time, it would be inaccurate to describe the situation as an overall collapse in Ukrainian corn exports. As of September 4, Ukraine had exported around 1.7 million tonnes of corn since the beginning of the 2026/27 marketing year — 91% more than at the same point last season. The main challenge is the changing geography and reliability of shipments: buyers requiring predictable large-volume deliveries have an additional incentive to turn to competing suppliers. Stable maritime logistics therefore remains one of the key conditions for Ukraine to protect its share of the global corn market.