The U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest Grain Transportation Report reveals significant declines in rail shipments and export sales for major grains, while barge movements show a slight increase.
For the week ending February 22, U.S. Class I railroads originated 19,702 grain carloads, a 15% decrease from the previous week and 24% lower than both last year and the 3-year average.
Export sales for the week ending February 20 also faced challenges. Unshipped balances of corn, soybeans, and wheat for marketing year 2024/25 totaled 34.39 million metric tons, down 3% from the previous week. Net corn export sales fell 45% to 0.80 million metric tons, while soybean and wheat sales dropped 14% and 50% respectively.
Barge movements showed a modest improvement, with 422,250 tons of grain moved for the week ending March 1, up 3% from the previous week but 2% lower than the same period last year.
Ocean freight saw mixed trends. While 27 oceangoing grain vessels were loaded in the Gulf, 23% fewer than the same period last year, shipping rates increased slightly. The rate from the U.S. Gulf to Japan rose 1% to $46.50 per metric ton.
Fuel prices offered some relief, with the U.S. average diesel price decreasing 6.2 cents to $3.635 per gallon, 38.7 cents below the same week last year.
