This article has been reprinted from the USDA Aug. 8 Grain Transportation Report.
Export Sales
For the week ending July 25, unshipped balances of wheat, corn, and soybeans totaled 16.8 mmt.
This indicates a 10 percent decrease in outstanding sales, compared to the same time last year.
Net corn export sales reached .143 mmt, up 18 percent from the previous week.
Net soybean export sales were .143 mmt, up notably from negative sales during the past week.
Net weekly wheat export sales reached .383 mmt, down 42 percent from the previous week.
Rail
U.S. Class I railroads originated 22,342 grain carloads, for the week ending July 27.
This is a 2 percent decrease from the previous week, 8 percent less than last year, and 4 percent lower than the 3-year average.
Average August shuttle secondary railcar bids/offers (per car) were $204 below tariff for the week ending August 1.
This is $26 less than last week and $33 lower than last year.
There were no non-shuttle bids/offers this week.
Barge
For the week ending August 3, barge grain movements totaled 677,434 tons.
This is a 14 percent decrease from the previous week and 16 percent less than the same period last year.
For the week ending August 3, 442 grain barges moved down river.
This is 54 fewer barges than the previous week.
There were 660 grain barges unloaded in New Orleans, 12 percent more than the previous week.
Ocean
For the week ending August 1, 34 ocean-going grain vessels were loaded in the Gulf.
This is 17 percent more than the same period last year.
Fifty-one vessels are expected to be loaded within the next 10 days.
This is 11 percent more than the same period last year.
As of August 1, the rate for shipping a metric ton (mt) of grain from the U.S. Gulf to Japan was $49.50.
This is 2 percent less than the previous week.
The rate from the PNW to Japan was $27.50 per mt, 2 percent more than the previous week.
Fuel
For the week ending August 5, the U.S. average diesel fuel price decreased 0.2 cents from the previous week, to $3.032 per gallon.
This price is 19.1 cents less than the same week last year.