Washington Grain Commission CEO Testifies on Behalf of Columbia Snake River System

On Jan. 30, 2024, Casey Chumrau, CEO of the Washington Grain Commission, offered compelling testimony supporting the crucial infrastructure of dams and locks on the Columbia Snake River System (CSRS) at a U.S. House Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee hearing. U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) sent separate […]

Rising Ocean Freight Rates Pushed by Uptick in Fuel Costs, Chinese Demand

In a series of articles on U.S. supply chain transportation, we have explored the importance of barging and rail on U.S. wheat exports and how they contribute to the reliability of the U.S. marketing system. Barging and rail account for 89% of all U.S. wheat export shipments. After traveling through the inland logistics system, on […]

Ocean Freight Rates Revert to Pandemic Lows

As the COVID-19 pandemic fades into a not-so-distant memory, one can remember a time when “Supply Chain Disruptions” made every headline and container backlog in the Port of Long Beach required direct intervention from the U.S. government. Since the highs hit in the fall of 2021 freight prices have dropped to lows not seen since […]

Dry Bulk Freight Rates Riding Rough Seas

This was supposed to be the year dry bulk freight vessel owners turned a profit, Jay O’Neil, a commodities consultant and author of a weekly transportation report recently commented. And U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) shared similar thoughts early in 2021. Instead, S&P Global Market Intelligence noted recently that freight rates for dry bulkers have fallen […]