NASHVILLE, TN (RFD NEWS) — Transportation costs remain a major hurdle for U.S. wheat moving to Japan, even as USDA projects stronger wheat exports this marketing year.
USDA’s Grain Transportation Report shows freight accounted for 35 to 39 percent of first-quarter landed costs from Kansas and North Dakota.
Converted to bushels, transportation costs ranged from about $2.65 per bushel for Kansas wheat moving through the Pacific Northwest to $3.56 per bushel for North Dakota wheat shipped through the Gulf. Total landed costs ranged from about $7.44 to $9.04 per bushel.
Ocean freight increased from a year earlier, rising 14 percent through Pacific Northwest routes and 19 percent through Gulf routes. Higher bunker fuel costs and strong Asian shipping demand contributed to those increases.
Even with higher freight pressure, lower farm values kept total landed costs below last year across all four routes. North Dakota wheat moving through the Gulf remained the most expensive route.
USDA projects 2025/26 wheat exports near 910 million bushels, up 10 percent from the previous year, making transportation costs and export competitiveness increasingly important.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Stronger wheat exports help demand, but high freight costs continue to limit producer competitiveness in overseas markets.
Tony St. James, RFD News Markets Specialist
Beef industry groups seem to agree — market-based pricing, not federal intervention, best supports rancher livelihoods and long-term beef supply stability.
October 21, 2025 11:22 AM
·
Cattle groups say additional imports would offer little relief for consumers but could erode rancher confidence as the industry begins to rebuild herds.
October 21, 2025 11:06 AM
·
Lyndsey Smith with Real Ag Radio joined RFD-TV to share a Canadian perspective on the discussions.
October 20, 2025 03:30 PM
·
Bioethanol is becoming a global standard. For growers, that boom comes as drops in Mississippi River levels and in soybean demand occur in tandem, leaving barge space for corn and wheat.
October 20, 2025 01:32 PM
·
With China halting U.S. soybean purchases and talks tied to broader strategic issues, growers face renewed export uncertainty.
October 20, 2025 11:52 AM
·
Talks highlight the widening role of agriculture in U.S.–India trade policy, though neither side appears ready for major concessions before tariff issues and oil imports are resolved.
October 20, 2025 11:28 AM
·
