EN 
PT_BR 
As a result of work carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa), the first ship loaded with DDG (Dried Distillers Grains), a co-product of corn ethanol production, departed on Saturday (14) bound for China. The operation marks an advance in the Brazilian export agenda.
The cargo ship was docked at the Port of Imbituba (SC), from where it departed with approximately 62,000 tons of the product – the first shipment sent to the Chinese market after the recent opening of trade.
Following the signing of the bilateral sanitary protocol, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA), through the Secretariat of Agricultural Defense (SDA), initiated the registration, qualification, and inspection process for production plants interested in accessing the new market. In total, 13 Brazilian establishments were officially authorized to export DDG to China, after technical evaluations that verified good manufacturing practices, safety controls, traceability, and other requirements demanded by the Chinese authorities.
DDG (Dried Distillers Grains) is gaining relevance in the international market. Brazil, the world's third-largest corn producer, exported approximately 791,000 tons of this input in 2024. In the same year, China imported more than US$$ 66 million worth of products of this nature, destined for animal feed.
In 2025, Brazil's performance was even more impressive. According to data from the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC), compiled by the National Union of Corn Ethanol (UNEM), the country exported 879,358 tons of DDG and DDGS to 25 markets, a growth of 9.771 T&T compared to 2024. This result strengthens the so-called Brazilian Distillers Grains as important vectors for adding value to the corn and bioenergy chain.
This growth is directly related to the expansion of the corn ethanol industry, which projects a production of almost 10 billion liters of ethanol for the 2025/2026 harvest, accompanied by an increase in the supply of co-products derived from grain processing.
The combination of opening new markets and expanding production capacity reinforces Brazil's role as a reliable and competitive supplier in the global animal nutrition and bioenergy chain.
What is DDG?
DDG is the acronym for Distillers Dried Grains. It is a co-product obtained from processing corn to produce ethanol. After fermentation and distillation, the components not converted into alcohol (such as proteins, fiber, and lipids) are concentrated and dried, resulting in DDG.
