Importation of hemp seed for sowing has increased considerably since the first recorded trade entries in 2021. Europe has exported the lion’s share of U.S. hemp seed, with France leading the trading block by a wide margin. France exported 577 mt over the three-year period, and Spain recorded 335 mt.

Trade flows tell us something about the developing U.S. hemp industry. The hemp seed segment was dominated by high cannabinoid cultivars that could easily become non-compliant. This once explosive segment has withered from the early days of selling high CBD cultivars by the seed when prominent U.S. companies raked in millions of dollars annually.

…