Record Exports Show the Strength of U.S. Corn Markets


By Tara Desmond • August 27, 2026

Despite shifting trade dynamics, U.S. corn and ethanol continue to find strong demand around the world. The U.S. is on track for a record 3.3 billion bushels of corn exports this marketing year (ends Aug. 31), with Mexico alone accounting for more than 1 billion bushels.  This is the first time the U.S. has exported that much corn to a single customer.


Ethanol exports are also on pace for a third consecutive record year, reaching about 2.35 billion gallons. Canada is currently the top market, importing an estimated 850 million gallons, while Mexico and Japan represent significant future growth potential.


Hear more from U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council leaders Ryan LeGrand and Jay Reiners about the growing global demand for U.S. corn and ethanol and why strong markets like Mexico and Canada remain so important to Illinois farmers.


Not a member?

Become one today!

SHARE THIS

Latest Posts

Michelle and Shane
By Tara Desmond • October 5, 2026
Farm Babe shares how she got Burger King to drop an anti-cattle ad and why farmers' voices matter.
Shane, Gregg and Danna
By Tara Desmond • October 5, 2026
Carle Health nurses explain the free Vial of Life, a fridge-stored medical info kit that helps first responders act fast in a farm or home emergency.
Green combine harvester cutting corn in a dry field under a clear blue sky
By Lyndi Allen • October 1, 2026
As Illinois farmers enter the harvest season, ICGA is asking state and federal policymakers to find ways to lower the cost of diesel fuel for farmers.
Illinois FFA Student Madelyn
By Tara Desmond • October 1, 2026
Staunton FFA member Madelyn Davin turned luffa gourds into a business and shares her take on solar panels and farmland.
Illinois CI Tool
By Megan Dwyer • October 1, 2026
See how location and practices could change your farm's CI score with IL Corn's new interactive map, built on the USDA FD-CIC Feedstock Calculator.
Cargo ship pushing barge convoy across calm blue water at sunset
By Lyndi Allen • October 1, 2026
A new report from the National Library of the Rockies (NLR), Evaluation of Ethanol Use in Maritime Shipping, finds that ethanol could be a viable marine fuel.
Green combine harvester in a harvested field under a cloudy sky
By Lyndi Allen • September 23, 2026
Illinois farmers saw their earnings improve in 2025, but the latest data shows that farm profitability remains well below recent averages.
Dolly Parton Maze from All Seasons Orchard
By Tara Desmond • September 22, 2026
A Woodstock, IL farm's Dolly Parton corn maze is one of 18 nationwide honoring the icon and benefiting her Imagination Library literacy program.
farmer next to engine with headphones on
By Tamara H. Thompson • September 22, 2026
Untreated hearing loss strains and shrinks the brain and drives social isolation, raising the risk of dementia but early treatment with hearing aids or other devices can help protect against it.
Steve Fourez
By Tara Desmond • September 22, 2026
A farmer's stroke went unnoticed until family and coworkers insisted he get help. His Safety Week story on why every minute matters
Show More