The last 10 years have been a period of volatility for wheat production and trade in China. Production reached record levels in 1997, then fell by over 30 million metric tons (mmt) by 2003. Imports reached a record level of 12.3 mmt in 1995, then dropped off to less than 1 mmt per year since 1997. This report provides an overview of current wheat production and consumption trends in China, including factors that contributed to slumping imports in recent years. It projects that China will regain its status as a net wheat importer, with imports rising sharply in the next year or two but then falling back to modest levels after that.
