This article has been reprinted from the Dec. 20 USDA Grain Transportation Report.
Export Sales
For the week ending December 6, unshipped balances of wheat, corn, and soybeans totaled 28.3 mmt, down 17 percent from the same time last year.
Net weekly wheat export sales were .754 mmt, up 6 percent from the previous week.
Net corn export sales were .903 mmt, down 23 percent from the previous week.
Net soybean export sales were .792 mmt, down 11 percent from the past week.
Rail
U.S. Class I railroads originated 23,082 grain carloads for the week ending December 8, up 3 percent from the previous week, down 3 percent from last year, and down 3 percent from the 3-year average.
Average December shuttle secondary railcar bids/offers per car were $263 below tariff for the week ending December 13, down $147 from last week, and down $117 from last year.
Average non-shuttle secondary railcar bids/offers per car were $0, up $50 from last week, and down $100 from last year.
Barge
For the week ending December 15, barge grain movements totaled 853,616 tons, 9 percent higher than the previous week and up 5 percent from the same period last year.
For the week ending December 15, 550 grain barges moved down river, 47 barges more than the previous week.
There were 816 grain barges unloaded in New Orleans, 3 percent higher than the previous week.
Ocean
For the week ending December 13, 33 ocean-going grain vessels were loaded in the Gulf, 15 percent less than the same period last year.
Sixty-six vessels are expected to be loaded within the next 10 days, 22 percent more than the same period last year.
For the week ending December 13, the ocean freight rate for shipping bulk grain, from the Gulf to Japan, was $48.00 per metric ton.
The cost of shipping, from the PNW to Japan, was $25.75 per metric ton.
Fuel
For the week ending December 17, the U.S. average diesel fuel price decreased 4 cents, from the previous week, to $3.121 per gallon, 22 cents above the same week last year.