China is the world's largest producer of flaxseed.
The EU and the US are the major importers. China exports only small amounts of flaxseed, aside from the 20,640 tonnes of 1995 and 10,660 of 1999. Flaxseed is a shorter-season crop, and when heavy fall rains in 1998 reduced winter cereal planting, it caused a shift to flax in the spring of 1999. The crop is generally sown in March in France and England. Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and Belgium all increased their crushing of flax or linseed in recent years.