China imported 570,000 tonnes of malting barley in January/April 2004, 409,000 tonnes from Australia and 158,000 tonnes from Canada, according to official import statistics. Total imports in July-December 2003 had only been 222,000 tonnes. It is believed, however, that barley imports in container vessels were not listed in import statistics, and they account for another 250,000 tonnes, particularly from the Australian East Coast, analysts commented. Last year's deliveries of Chinese malting barley to the industry are estimated to have been 1.2-1.3 million tonnes. This year acreage was lost to wheat; therefore the Chinese "collecte" of malting barley is expected to be only 0.95-1.0 million tonnes. If China produced 280 million hl beer in 2004, malt needs would be 2.8 million tonnes equal to a barley demand of 3.5 million tonnes.

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