NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RFD NEWS) — Transportation costs climbed from the second to the third quarter of 2025 for both U.S. and Brazilian soybean exports, reshaping landed costs and export competitiveness into China and Europe. New analysis from USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service shows higher barge and ocean freight rates were the primary drivers, even as farm values softened in parts of the United States.
For U.S. soybeans moving to China, total transportation costs rose on Gulf and Pacific Northwest routes. Higher barge rates tied to low Mississippi River water levels and firm ocean freight demand outweighed modest declines in truck and rail costs. Despite rising transport expenses, lower farm prices helped limit increases in landed costs, particularly for PNW shipments.
Brazil faced sharper cost pressure. Truck and ocean freight rates increased for shipments to both China and Germany, pushing Brazilian landed costs higher quarter to quarter and year over year. Transportation accounted for as much as 27 percent of Brazil’s landed cost into China during the third quarter.
Year to year, U.S. landed costs declined while Brazil’s rose, reinforcing a shifting competitive balance. However, Brazil is still projected to dominate global exports in 2025/26, while U.S. shipments to China remain sharply lower.
Farm-Level Takeaw
ay: Freight volatility and route selection remain critical to soybean export margins and competitiveness.
Tony St. James, RFD NEWS Markets Specialist
RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney joined us on Friday’s Market Day Report to discuss what the Carney-Xi meeting could mean for Canadian producers.
October 31, 2025 01:29 PM
·
Market analyst and friend of the show, Shawn Hackett, says Brazil’s shifting use of crops for biofuel production is a significant factor.
October 31, 2025 01:17 PM
·
Caleb Ragland, president of the American Soybean Association (ASA), shares his reaction to news of soybean sales to China, which is considered both “welcome news” and a return to near-normal trade relations.
October 31, 2025 12:26 PM
·
Rabobank’s outlook signals a tightening margin environment, emphasizing the need for cost control, trade stability, and clearer policy signals heading into 2026.
October 31, 2025 11:44 AM
·
Farm Bureau Economist Faith Parum discusses key outcomes from the U.S.-China trade agreement and the benefits of expanding trade across Southeast Asia.
October 30, 2025 03:25 PM
·
Farm CPA Paul Neiffer joined us on Thursday’s Market Day Report to discuss the implications for farmers.
October 30, 2025 02:37 PM
·
Chris Bliley with Growth Energy discusses ongoing concerns about U.S. ethanol exports and the expansion of market access promised under the Phase One deal between the U.S. and China.
October 30, 2025 02:30 PM
·
“It does not extinguish right away here — in any sort of sense — the real profitability concerns and people’s ability to pay bills and get to the other side of this in the very short term. This is where the skepticism builds.”
October 30, 2025 02:20 PM
·
U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) shares his perspective on the U.S.-China trade developments and their potential impact on American producers, farmers, and ranchers.
October 30, 2025 12:56 PM
·
