The U.S. Grain Transportation Report showed remarkable strength across all modes last week, with significant increases in rail, barge and ocean shipping volumes.
Class I railroads originated 27,573 grain carloads during the week ending July 12, representing a 21% increase from the previous week and 30% above the three-year average. Railcar pricing reflected the increased demand, with non-shuttle secondary bids reaching $150 above tariff, up $113 from the previous week.
Barge movements demonstrated even stronger growth, with 730,970 tons of grain moved during the week ending July 19 — a 32% increase from the previous week and 131% more than the same period last year. The New Orleans region unloaded 594 grain barges, up 15% week-over-week.
Ocean shipping remained stable with 20 vessels loaded in the Gulf, though shipping rates increased significantly. The cost to ship grain from the U.S. Gulf to Japan rose 8% to $52.75 per metric ton, while Pacific Northwest to Japan rates increased 4% to $29.50.
Despite the transportation surge, export sales showed mixed results. Unshipped balances of wheat for marketing year 2025/26 stood at 6.07 million metric tons, up 10% year-over-year, while corn export sales fell 92% from the previous week.
Diesel fuel prices also rose to $3.812 per gallon, up 5.4 cents from the previous week.
