This article has been reprinted from the Sept. 26 USDA Grain Transportation Report.
Export Sales
For the week ending September 12, unshipped balances of wheat, corn, and soybeans totaled 22.8 mmt.
This indicates a 36-percent decrease in outstanding sales, compared to the same time last year.
Net corn export sales reached 1.47 mmt, up significantly from the past week. Net soybean export sales were 1.73 mmt, also up 49 percent from the previous week.
Net weekly wheat export sales reached .287 mmt, down 53 percent from the from the previous week
Rail
U.S. Class I railroads originated 18,337 grain carloads during the week ending September 14.
This is a 5-percent increase from the previous week, 14 percent less than last year, and 15 percent lower than the 3-year average.
Average October shuttle secondary railcar bids/offers (per car) were $169 below tariff for the week ending September 19. This is $31 more than last week and $202 lower than this week last year.
There were no non-shuttle bids/offers this week.
Barge
For the week ending September 21, barge grain movements totaled 501,809 tons.
This is a 32-percent decrease from the previous week and 25 percent less than the same period last year.
For the week ending September 21, 327 grain barges moved down river.
This is 146 fewer barges than the previous week.
There were 629 grain barges unloaded in New Orleans, 68 percent more than the previous week.
Ocean
For the week ending September 19, 19 ocean-going grain vessels were loaded in the Gulf.
This is 49 percent fewer than the same period last year. Forty-three vessels are expected to be loaded within the next 10 days (starting September 20).
This is 30 percent fewer than the same period last year.
As of September 19, the rate for shipping a metric ton (mt) of grain from the U.S. Gulf to Japan was $52.25.
This is relatively unchanged from the previous week.
The rate from PNW to Japan was $29.75 per mt, 1 percent less than the previous week.
Fuel
For the week ending September 23, the U.S. average diesel fuel price increased 9.4 cents from the previous week to $3.081 per gallon.
This price is 19.0 cents less than the same week last year.