This article has been reprinted from the Oct. 24 USDA Grain Transportation Report.
Export Sales
For the week ending October 10, unshipped balances of wheat, corn, and soybeans totaled 25.1 mmt.
This represents a 27-percent decrease in outstanding sales, compared to the same time last year.
Net corn export sales reached .369 mmt, down 29 percent from the past week. Net soybean export sales were 1.60 mmt, down 20 percent from the previous week.
Net weekly wheat export sales reached .395 mmt, down 24 percent from the from the previous week.
Rail
U.S. Class I railroads originated 20,911 grain carloads during the week ending October 12.
This is a 6-percent increase from the previous week, 6 percent less than last year, and 12 percent lower than the 3-year average.
Average November shuttle secondary railcar bids/offers (per car) were $94 above tariff for the week ending October 17.
This is $138 more than last week and $13 more than this week last year.
There were no non-shuttle bids/offers this week.
Barge
For the week ending October 19, barge grain movements totaled 310,061 tons.
This is a 40-percent decrease from the previous week and 9 percent more than the same period last year.
For the week ending October 19, 196 grain barges moved down river.
This is 131 fewer barges than the previous week.
There were 804 grain barges unloaded in New Orleans, 9 percent more than the previous week.
Ocean
For the week ending October 17, 34 oceangoing grain vessels were loaded in the Gulf—11 percent fewer than the same period last year.
Fifty-three vessels are expected to be loaded within the next 10 days (starting October 18).
This is 15 percent fewer than the same period last year.
As of October 17, the rate for shipping a metric ton (mt) of grain from the U.S. Gulf to Japan was $51.50.
This is unchanged from the previous week.
The rate from PNW to Japan was $28.50 per mt, unchanged from the previous week.
Fuel
For the week ending October 21, the U.S. average diesel fuel price decreased 0.1 cents from the previous week to $3.050 per gallon.
This price is 33 cents less than the same week last year.