U.S. grain transportation indicators showed mixed signals last week as rail shipments declined while barge movements doubled compared to the same period last year, according to the Department of Agriculture's weekly Grain Transportation Report released Thursday.
Class I railroads originated 22,868 grain carloads during the week ending July 5, a 10% decrease from the previous week but 13% higher than both last year and the three-year average. Secondary railcar bids reflected softer demand, with shuttle car bids averaging $50 above tariff — $18 less than the previous week and $300 lower than last year.
"The rail numbers suggest a temporary slowdown after a strong early summer shipping season," said a grain market analyst at a Midwestern university. "Year-over-year improvements indicate overall healthy demand despite seasonal fluctuations."
Barged grain movements totaled 553,850 tons for the week ending July 12, decreasing 29% from the previous week but doubling compared to the same period last year. The New Orleans region unloaded 516 grain barges, 8% fewer than the previous week.
Ocean shipping remained steady with 23 oceangoing grain vessels loaded in the Gulf, unchanged from last year. Shipping rates increased slightly, with the cost to ship a metric ton of grain from the U.S. Gulf to Japan rising 1% to $48.75.
On the export front, corn sales showed remarkable strength with net export sales of 1.26 million metric tons for marketing year 2024/25, up 137% from the previous week. Soybean export sales increased 9% while wheat exports declined 3%.
Diesel fuel prices continued their modest climb, rising 1.9 cents to $3.758 per gallon, though still 6.8 cents below the same week last year.
Unshipped balances of corn and soybeans totaled 15.65 million metric tons, up 23% from the same time last year, indicating strong overall export commitments despite weekly fluctuations.
