In Washington DC, World Grain reported that shipments of US soybeans in the first quarter of 2025-26 (September through November) were off to their slowest start in over a decade, according to the January 1 Grain Transportation Report (GTR) by the US Department of Agriculture.
At 12.3 million tons, the total volume of US soybeans inspected for export was down 46% from the prior five-year average, making it the slowest start to a marketing year since 2011-12, according to the GTR. Of the total, 1.4 million tons were containerized soybeans, up 5 percentage points from average.
In most years, US soybean exports peak between October and November, when they are priced competitively with South American soybeans, the GTR noted.
China, historically the largest buyer of US soybeans, did not purchase its first 2025-26 US soybeans until late October amid a trade dispute, and the first soybean shipment to China did not occur until late November. Data from the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) of the USDA show China received just one cargo (49,000 tons) of US soybeans in the first quarter, according to the report.
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Category: Food & Agriculture
