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Farm produce

Export maize (corn)

Feed-grade yellow maize for poultry and starch makers in Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.

Free to exportHS 1005
HS code
1005
Maize seed (1005 10) and other maize (1005 90 — yellow, white, flint, popcorn). Sweet corn on the cob is a vegetable (0709 99).
Export policy
Free to export
Export is Free under ITC(HS) Schedule 2; we found no recent restriction. Confirm current status on dgft.gov.in.
Registrations
4
IEC, GST and those below
India’s exports, 2025-26
US$ 375 mn
to 52 countries

What is exported

APEDA reports maize exports of 1.25 million tonnes worth US$ 374.7 million in 2025-26, with Bangladesh (28.2%), Nepal (24.5%), Vietnam (22.0%), Sri Lanka (6.6%) and Thailand (3.3%) as the main destinations. India is the world’s fifth-largest maize producer (FAO, 2024). Domestic demand for ethanol now competes for the same grain, which affects export prices.

Varieties, grades and forms

  • Yellow maize (1005 90 11)Feed grade; almost all export volume.
  • White maize and flint cornFood uses; small specialised trade.
  • Popcorn and seed maizeNiche lines with their own buyer specifications.

Where it is grown or made

  • Karnataka and TelanganaDavangere, Haveri; Karimnagar, Warangal — supply to Chennai and Kakinada ports.
  • BiharPurnia, Katihar, Begusarai — rabi maize for Nepal and Bangladesh.
  • Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and RajasthanChhindwara, Jalgaon, Bhilwara.

Season

Kharif crop harvested September–November; rabi maize (mainly Bihar and the south) March–May.

Export packing

  • 50 kg PP bags in containers, loose by rail rakes to Bangladesh, or bulk vessels.

Who buys abroad

  • Compound-feed mills for poultry, cattle and aquaculture
  • Starch and ethanol plants
  • Wholesale market traders and importers in neighbouring countries

The quality buyers ask for

Moisture
Contract maximum, commonly about 14%
Aflatoxin
Buyer or destination limit (often 20 ppb for feed)
Defects
Broken, damaged and discoloured kernels, foreign matter — maxima in contract

Certificates

  • APEDA RCMCRequiredRegistration with APEDA, issued as an RCMC on the DGFT portal; not needed for consignments up to ₹3 lakh FOB since 15 Sep 2026.
  • Phytosanitary certificateRequiredIssued by Plant Quarantine (DPPQS) for each consignment after inspection; apply on PQMS.
  • Non-GMO test reportOften askedOnly if the buyer asks; from an NABL-accredited lab.

Shipping, storage and shelf life

Container load

A 20-ft container typically carries about 25–26 tonnes in bags.

How it travels

Rail rakes and trucks to Bangladesh and Nepal; containers or bulk from Kakinada, Chennai, Visakhapatnam and Mundra.

Storage

Dry before storage; aerated, fumigated warehouses.

What goes on the pack and carton

  • Bulk bags and cartons: product and grade, crop year, lot number, net and gross weight, "Product of India", exporter name and the buyer’s shipping marks, matching the invoice and packing list exactly.
Where to get it tested

Use a laboratory on APEDA’s list of recognised laboratories (apeda.gov.in → Recognised Organisations), an FSSAI-notified lab, or a lab accredited by NABL for the test (nabl-india.org). Ask the buyer which reports they accept before sending samples.

Benefits of exporting this product

Where to register

  • APEDARegistration-cum-Membership Certificate (RCMC) for APEDA-scheduled products. Apply on the DGFT portal after you have your IEC.dgft.gov.in ↗
  • Plant Quarantine (DPPQS)Phytosanitary certificate for each consignment of plant produce, applied for online on PQMS. Some markets also want the packhouse or processing unit registered.pqms.cgg.gov.in ↗

Quality and checks

  • A phytosanitary certificate from Plant Quarantine for every consignment; some markets add treatment or pest-free-area conditions — check the importing country’s rules first.
  • Moisture, broken and damaged kernels, foreign matter and aflatoxin are the contract specifications feed mills care about most.
  • Some buyers ask for a non-GMO test report; arrange it from an NABL laboratory if the contract requires it.
How to start small

Begin with rail or truck loads to a feed mill in Bangladesh or Nepal through a land port, or containers from Kakinada, Chennai or Mundra to Vietnam. Insist on moisture under the contract limit before loading. Since 15 September 2026, a consignment worth up to ₹3 lakh FOB does not need an RCMC (DGFT Notification 36/2026-27); registrations required by a law still apply.

Where new exporters go wrong

  • Aflatoxin from grain dried poorly after the kharif harvest — the most common reason for claims.
  • Prices that move with ethanol demand at home; keep validity of offers short.

Documents this product needs

Schemes that apply

Sources (4)
  1. APEDA — Maize product profile (2025-26 exports and destinations)
  2. Department of Commerce — TradeStat, India’s exports by commodity and country (2025-26)
  3. Plant Quarantine (DPPQS) — PQMS portal for phytosanitary certificates
  4. DGFT Notification 36/2026-27 (15 Sep 2026) — no RCMC needed for consignments up to ₹3 lakh FOB

Trade data

Indian maize (corn) exports in numbers

From the Department of Commerce’s TradeStat, country by country. US$, Indian financial years (April–March).

Exports in 2025-26
US$ 375 mn
-10.3% a year on average, 2020-21 to 2025-26
Change from 2024-25
↑ +85.4%
US$ 202 mn → US$ 375 mn
Buyer countries
52
Average export price
US$ 0.29
per kg · 1.28 mn tonnes shipped · US$ 0.36 the year before
Bangladesh: US$ 106 mnNepal: US$ 91.8 mnVietnam: US$ 82.5 mnSri Lanka: US$ 24.6 mnThailand: US$ 12.5 mnBhutan: US$ 10.1 mnMalaysia: US$ 7.4 mnCôte d’Ivoire: US$ 7.1 mnOman: US$ 5.9 mnUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 5.3 mnGhana: US$ 3.6 mnSenegal: US$ 2.1 mnJapan: US$ 1.8 mnYemen: US$ 1.1 mnIndonesia: US$ 1.1 mnChina: US$ 1 mnQatar: US$ 660kDjibouti: US$ 600kHong Kong: US$ 560kMyanmar: US$ 530kSaudi Arabia: US$ 520kBangladesh: US$ 106 mnBangladeshNepal: US$ 91.8 mnNepalVietnam: US$ 82.5 mnVietnamSri Lanka: US$ 24.6 mnSri LankaThailand: US$ 12.5 mnBhutan: US$ 10.1 mnMalaysia: US$ 7.4 mnCôte d’Ivoire: US$ 7.1 mnCôte d’IvoireOman: US$ 5.9 mnUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 5.3 mnUnited Arab EmiratesGhana: US$ 3.6 mnSenegal: US$ 2.1 mnJapan: US$ 1.8 mnYemen: US$ 1.1 mnIndonesia: US$ 1.1 mnChina: US$ 1 mnQatar: US$ 660kDjibouti: US$ 600kHong Kong: US$ 560kMyanmar: US$ 530kSaudi Arabia: US$ 520kIndia
Where Indian maize (corn) goes — among our 80 countries, 2025-26
2020-21: US$ 645 mn6452020-212021-22: US$ 1.02 bn1.0k2021-222022-23: US$ 1.12 bn1.1k2022-232023-24: US$ 444 mn4442023-242024-25: US$ 202 mn2022024-252025-26: US$ 375 mn3752025-26
India’s maize (corn) exports, year by year · US$ million

The price cycle

India’s average export price per kg each year (total value ÷ total quantity). Highest in 2024-25, lowest in 2020-21 — a 64% swing between them. Keep this swing in mind when you quote.

2020-21: US$ 0.22 per kg0.222021-22: US$ 0.28 per kg2022-23: US$ 0.32 per kg2024-25: US$ 0.36 per kg0.362025-26: US$ 0.29 per kg0.292020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-26
Average export price of Indian maize (corn) · US$ per kg · dotted = year in between not available

What next: a projection from the trend

The past trend carried forward — not a forecast by any authority. Sudden changes in policy, prices or demand are not in it.

2020-21: US$ 645 mn2020-212021-22: US$ 1.02 bn2021-222022-23: US$ 1.12 bn2022-232023-24: US$ 444 mn2023-242024-25: US$ 202 mn2024-252025-26: US$ 375 mn2025-262026-27: US$ 231 mn (US$ 114 mn – US$ 468 mn)2312026-272027-28: US$ 181 mn (US$ 82.1 mn – US$ 398 mn)1812027-28
India’s maize (corn) exports and projection · hollow bars = projection, line = likely range
By 2027-28: US$ 181 mn

Likely range US$ 82.1 mn to US$ 398 mn.

Trend
-21.6% a year
Fit (R²)
0.49 — weak, read with care
Based on
6 years of official figures

Method: a straight line through the logarithm of yearly exports (log-linear regression); range = ±1 standard error.

Biggest buyer countries

By value in 2025-26. Change is against 2024-25.

Name2025-26Change
1BangladeshUS$ 106 mn+593.3%
2NepalUS$ 91.8 mn-15.4%
3VietnamUS$ 82.5 mn+2,866.5%
4Sri LankaUS$ 24.6 mn-13.3%
5ThailandUS$ 12.5 mn+126.4%
6BhutanUS$ 10.1 mn-32.6%
7MalaysiaUS$ 7.4 mn+529.9%
8Côte d’IvoireUS$ 7.1 mn+154.1%
9OmanUS$ 5.9 mn+18.8%
10United Arab EmiratesUS$ 5.3 mn+289.8%
11GhanaUS$ 3.6 mn+172%
12SenegalUS$ 2.1 mn+301.9%

Where demand is rising and falling

Only countries that buy at least US$ 1 million or 1% of India’s exports of this product. Change from 2024-25 to 2025-26.

High demand

  1. VietnamUS$ 2.8 mn → US$ 82.5 mn+2,866.5%
  2. BangladeshUS$ 15.3 mn → US$ 106 mn+593.3%
  3. MalaysiaUS$ 1.2 mn → US$ 7.4 mn+529.9%
  4. United Arab EmiratesUS$ 1.4 mn → US$ 5.3 mn+289.8%
  5. Côte d’IvoireUS$ 2.8 mn → US$ 7.1 mn+154.1%
  6. ThailandUS$ 5.5 mn → US$ 12.5 mn+126.4%
  7. OmanUS$ 4.9 mn → US$ 5.9 mn+18.8%

Low demand

  1. BhutanUS$ 15 mn → US$ 10.1 mn-32.6%
  2. NepalUS$ 109 mn → US$ 91.8 mn-15.4%
  3. Sri LankaUS$ 28.4 mn → US$ 24.6 mn-13.3%

New buyers: Countries that bought nothing from India in 2024-25 and did in 2025-26.

  • Afghanistan · US$ 1.5 mn

Which forms sell, and at what price

India’s exports by 8-digit tariff line, 2025-26. Average price = total value ÷ total quantity (TradeStat): the average of every shipment on that line, not the price of any one deal.

Tariff lineValue 2025-26ChangeQuantityAverage price
Others-of-other maize (corn)1005 90 90 · Cereals, maize, other than seedUS$ 151 mn+18.4%6,07,317 tonnesUS$ 0.25 per kgwas US$ 0.30
Cereals, maize, other than seed — yellow1005 90 11US$ 93.5 mn+230.6%3,85,745 tonnesUS$ 0.24 per kgwas US$ 0.31
Cereals, maize, seed — maize seed1005 10 00US$ 72.2 mn+84.7%32,233 tonnesUS$ 2.24 per kgwas US$ 2.05
Others-of-other maize (corn)1005 90 19 · Cereals, maize, other than seedUS$ 58.5 mn+675.6%2,55,336 tonnesUS$ 0.23 per kgwas US$ 0.32
Popcorn (zea mays var. everta)1005 90 30 · Cereals, maize, other than seedUS$ 40k-20%32 tonnesUS$ 1.24 per kgwas US$ 1.42
Flint corn (zea mays var. indurata)1005 90 20 · Cereals, maize, other than seedUS$ 30k+200%98 tonnesUS$ 0.31 per kgwas US$ 0.29

The world market

Each country’s own recorded exports and imports in UN Comtrade, 2023 (the latest year nearly every country has reported).

World imports
US$ 61.7 bn
2023
India among exporters
#12
of 127 countries
India’s share of world exports
1.3%
US$ 701 mn
Left for others to win
US$ 52 bn
exported by other countries

Top exporters — your competitors

  1. 1USAUS$ 13.7 bn 26%
  2. 2BrazilUS$ 13.6 bn 25.9%
  3. 3ArgentinaUS$ 6.16 bn 11.7%
  4. 4UkraineUS$ 4.97 bn 9.4%
  5. 5FranceUS$ 2.03 bn 3.9%
  6. 6RomaniaUS$ 1.68 bn 3.2%
  7. 7PolandUS$ 1.3 bn 2.5%
  8. 8South AfricaUS$ 1.21 bn 2.3%
  9. 9TürkiyeUS$ 796 mn 1.5%
  10. 10CanadaUS$ 766 mn 1.5%

Biggest buyers in the world

  1. 1ChinaUS$ 9.02 bn 14.6%
  2. 2MexicoUS$ 5.82 bn 9.4%
  3. 3JapanUS$ 4.92 bn 8%
  4. 4IranUS$ 3.65 bn 5.9%
  5. 5Rep. of KoreaUS$ 3.54 bn 5.7%
  6. 6Viet NamUS$ 2.87 bn 4.6%
  7. 7SpainUS$ 2.67 bn 4.3%
  8. 8EgyptUS$ 2.47 bn 4%
  9. 9ItalyUS$ 1.98 bn 3.2%
  10. 10ColombiaUS$ 1.86 bn 3%

Opportunity: what these countries buy from the world, and from India

Each country’s own recorded imports in UN Comtrade, latest year it has reported. The long light part of each bar is demand other countries are filling today.

JapanUS$ 3.94 bnIndia 0.1% · gap US$ 3.94 bn
ChinaUS$ 3.76 bnIndia 0% · gap US$ 3.76 bn
IranUS$ 3.65 bnIndia 0% · gap US$ 3.65 bn
VietnamUS$ 3.34 bnIndia 8.6% · gap US$ 3.05 bn
South KoreaUS$ 2.9 bnIndia 0% · gap US$ 2.9 bn
EgyptUS$ 2.27 bnIndia 0.1% · gap US$ 2.27 bn
SpainUS$ 2.14 bnIndia 0% · gap US$ 2.14 bn
ItalyUS$ 1.72 bnIndia 0% · gap US$ 1.72 bn
NetherlandsUS$ 1.26 bnIndia 0% · gap US$ 1.26 bn
Saudi ArabiaUS$ 1.21 bnIndia 0.1% · gap US$ 1.21 bn

TradeStat’s 2023-24 quantities are double-counted, so that year is left out of the price. Sources: TradeStat — Export Import Data Bank, Department of Commerce · UN Comtrade database (United Nations Statistics Division) · Figures taken 29 October 2026.

Step by step

How to export maize (corn)

India is the world’s fifth-largest maize producer (FAO, 2024, quoted by APEDA) and an important regional supplier of feed maize to Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. The USA, Brazil, Argentina and Ukraine dominate the world market. Rising domestic use for ethanol has tightened supply and raised prices at home. India’s edge is short freight to South and South-East Asia and round-the-year availability from two seasons.

  1. 01Register

    Get your IEC and APEDA RCMC.

  2. 02Buy dried grain

    Buy after harvest in Karnataka, Telangana or Bihar; check moisture and aflatoxin before paying.

  3. 03Clean and bag

    Clean, dry if needed and bag; sample for the buyer’s specification.

  4. 04Inspection and phytosanitary certificate

    Apply on PQMS; Plant Quarantine inspects the lot (and fumigation or treatment if the importing country requires it) before issuing the certificate.

  5. 05Agree specification, price and payment

    Put grade, tests, packing, Incoterm (FOB or CIF), shipment period and payment (advance, LC or documents against payment) in a written contract. Cover the buyer with ECGC if you give credit.

  6. 06File the shipping bill and ship

    Your customs broker files the shipping bill on ICEGATE with the invoice and packing list. After customs clearance the line issues the bill of lading; get the certificate of origin from the right agency if the buyer needs a trade-agreement rate.

  7. 07Get paid and close the file

    Send original documents through your bank (or to the buyer if paid in advance). When the money arrives, get the e-BRC and claim RoDTEP and drawback where they apply.

Meet buyers

Trade fairs

Questions

Questions about exporting maize (corn)

Who buys Indian maize?
Bangladesh (28.2%), Nepal (24.5%), Vietnam (22.0%), Sri Lanka (6.6%) and Thailand (3.3%) in 2025-26 (APEDA).
Is maize export restricted?
No restriction found — export is Free. Confirm on DGFT.
What causes most claims?
Aflatoxin and high moisture from poorly dried grain.
Do I need an RCMC for a small trial shipment?
Not for a consignment up to ₹3 lakh FOB since 15 Sep 2026 (DGFT Notification 36/2026-27). Registrations that a law requires, such as the Spices Board CRES or Tobacco Board registration, still apply.
What RoDTEP does maize get?
0.9% of FOB with no cap (Appendix 4R).
Sources (4)
  1. APEDA — Maize product profile (2025-26 exports and destinations)
  2. Department of Commerce — TradeStat, India’s exports by commodity and country (2025-26)
  3. DGFT — Appendix 4R, RoDTEP schedule for DTA exports w.e.f. 10 Oct 2024 (Notification No. 32, 30 Sep 2024)
  4. Plant Quarantine (DPPQS) — PQMS portal for phytosanitary certificates

Who buys Indian maize (corn)

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