This article has been reprinted from the Feb. 20 USDA Grain Transportation Report.
Export Sales
For the week ending February 6, unshipped balances of wheat, corn, and soybeans totaled 22.7 million metric tons (mmt).
This represents a 27-percent decrease in outstanding sales, compared to the same time last year.
Net corn export sales reached 0.969 mmt, down 22 percent from the past week.
Net soybean export sales were .645 mmt, down 8 percent from the previous week.
Net weekly wheat export sales reached .643 mmt, up 90 percent from the previous week.
Rail
U.S. Class I railroads originated 20,888 grain carloads during the week ending February 8.
This was a 9-percent increase from the previous week, 1 percent more than last year, and 4 percent more than the 3-year average.
Average February shuttle secondary railcar bids/offers (per car) were $306 below tariff for the week ending February 13.
This was $27 less than last week and $1,523 lower than this week last year.
There were no non-shuttle bids/offers this week.
Barge
For the week ending February 15, barge grain movements totaled 553,054.
This was a 22.8-percent increase from the previous week and 46 percent more than the same period last year.
For the week ending February 15, 374 grain barges moved down river—76 barges more than the previous week.
There were 659 grain barges unloaded in New Orleans, 8 percent more than the previous week.
Ocean
For the week ending February 13, 31 oceangoing grain vessels were loaded in the Gulf—18.4 percent fewer than the same period last year.
Within the next 10 days (starting February 14), 47 vessels were expected to be loaded—31.9 percent fewer than the same period last year.
As of February 13, the rate for shipping a metric ton (mt) of grain from the U.S. Gulf to Japan was $42.75.
This was 2 percent more than the previous week.
The rate from the Pacific Northwest to Japan was $22.25 per mt, 1 percent more than the previous week