Industry summary data shows that in September 2026, China exported 82,000 tonnes of lysine and lysine salts and esters, up 3.9% year on year. In the same period, methionine imports totaled 9,400 tonnes, down 32.6% year on year and 4.3% month on month; exports totaled 29,500 tonnes, up 25% year on year and 6.12% month on month. In terms of market activity, lysine prices were stable, while methionine buying and selling weakened.

These figures show two different trends: exports of lysine-related products increased from the same period a year earlier, while methionine saw both lower imports and higher exports. In the methionine market, diverging import and export trends coincided with weaker buying and selling. However, changes in import and export volumes are not directly equivalent to changes in domestic market demand or prices.

Lysine Exports Increase Year on Year, Prices Remain Stable

In September, exports of lysine and lysine salts and esters reached 82,000 tonnes, an increase of 3.9% year on year. This figure reflects the change in export volume for the month compared with the same period a year earlier. The statistical scope includes lysine and its salts and esters, and this product scope should be retained when interpreting the data.

Lysine prices were stable during the same period, indicating that the reported price performance did not move directly in tandem with year-on-year export growth. Export volume is a monthly indicator, while price performance concerns quoted prices in market transactions; the two focus on different aspects. The September data alone do not establish that increased exports caused a price change, nor can they be used to infer that export growth has already had a sustained impact on future prices.

For participants concerned with lysine sales and procurement, subsequent changes in export volumes and market prices can be considered to see whether a clearer relationship emerges. Year-on-year growth in a single month provides a point of comparison, but is not enough to show whether the upward trend in exports will continue.

Methionine Imports Decline as Exports Grow

The changes in methionine were more pronounced: September imports totaled 9,400 tonnes, below both the same period a year earlier and the previous month; exports totaled 29,500 tonnes, increasing both year on year and month on month. Year-on-year and month-on-month comparisons use different reference points: the former shows the difference from the same period a year earlier, while the latter shows the change from the previous month. They are not interchangeable.

In terms of trade flows, lower imports and higher exports mean that methionine import and export volumes moved in different directions during the month. Exports exceeding imports reflect the relationship between the two trade volumes for the month; this difference does not directly indicate an increase or decrease in domestic supply, nor can it alone measure changes in production, inventories, or consumption.

Weaker methionine buying and selling is another piece of information that should be considered separately from trade data. Export growth does not necessarily mean that all market trading activity has increased; likewise, weaker buying and selling does not directly indicate that export growth will end immediately. Trade volumes and market activity reflect different aspects and should be assessed together in light of subsequent developments.

Monitor Whether Trade Trends Continue and How They Relate to Market Activity

In the short term, changes in methionine imports and exports primarily reflect adjustments in trade flows. For parties involved in related business, it is worth monitoring whether lower imports and higher exports continue in subsequent data, and whether weaker buying and selling moves in tandem with changes in trade volumes. If the two continue to diverge, assessments of market conditions should consider imports and exports separately from domestic trading activity.

For lysine, year-on-year export growth coincided with stable prices. Going forward, the key points to watch are whether export volumes continue to change and whether market prices remain stable. The available data support a description of September performance, but a longer-term view of supply and demand will require ongoing observation of trade and market information.