# Grain transportation demand surges amid strong corn exports | Feed & Grain

> Feed & Grain reports strong first-quarter 2025 grain transportation demand driven by record corn exports of 17.6 million metric tons from December 2024 through February 2025. Barge shipments rose 5% year on year, and the St. Louis barge rate reached $16.80 per ton, 36% above the previous year.

- Date: 2025-04-25 · published 2025-04-25T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: trade · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/16460-grain-transportation-demand-surges-amid-strong-corn-exports-feed-and-grain
- Commodities: [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md), [Barge Freight (St. Louis)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARGE.md), [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md)

## Why it matters

Record corn exports and elevated barge rates signal firm export demand and higher freight costs that support corn prices while squeezing interior basis.

## Read by commodity

- SOY: bearish ▼
- CORN: bullish ▲
- BARGE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2026-02-27 | [US grain exports reach near-record levels despite transportation challenges \| Feed & Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16384-us-grain-exports-reach-near-record-levels-despite-transportation-challenges.md) | +2.0% | +7.3% |
| CORN | 2021-04-13 | [China's Q1 soybean, grains imports surge on strong demand](https://feedsoft.ai/events/11178-china-s-q1-soybean-grains-imports-surge-on-strong-demand.md) | +1.5% | +23.9% |
| CORN | 2020-10-03 | [Strong export demand supports prices for grains - High Plains Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/11637-strong-export-demand-supports-prices-for-grains-high-plains-journal.md) | +0.6% | +5.8% |
| CORN | 2020-11-20 | [Feed weekly outlook: Export demand supports grain prices - Grainews](https://feedsoft.ai/events/50227-feed-weekly-outlook-export-demand-supports-grain-prices-grainews.md) | +0.1% | +1.2% |
| CORN | 2020-10-27 | [Corn futures set 14-month high on strong export demand](https://feedsoft.ai/events/5717-corn-futures-set-14-month-high-on-strong-export-demand.md) | -3.7% | +6.9% |
| SOY | 2026-02-27 | [US grain exports reach near-record levels despite transportation challenges \| Feed & Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16384-us-grain-exports-reach-near-record-levels-despite-transportation-challenges.md) | +1.4% | +2.3% |
| SOY | 2022-11-07 | [Chinese Yuan Weakens Amid Contracting Exports, Imports on Struggling Demand](https://feedsoft.ai/events/6251-chinese-yuan-weakens-amid-contracting-exports-imports-on-struggling-demand.md) | +0.3% | -0.9% |
| SOY | 2021-07-13 | [Global Soybean Trade Slows on Weaker China Demand \| Feed & Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/46110-global-soybean-trade-slows-on-weaker-china-demand-feed-and-grain.md) | -0.3% | +0.1% |

## Sources

- feedandgrain.com: https://www.feedandgrain.com/grain-supply-chain/grain-trade-export/news/15744078/grain-transportation-demand-surges-amid-strong-corn-exports

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.