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Soybean Transportation Profile

AMS Transportation and Marketing Programs

October 2014

Executive Summary

U.S. soybean farmers depend on transportation as the critical link between their fields and markets here and abroad. Since the 

early 1990s, U.S. soybean farmers have been responding to world demand for more protein feed for the growing meat and 

poultry sectors in developing economies, especially China. This report examines transportation implications of the recent 

trends and outlook for U.S. soybeans. 

Key highlights:

 Most U.S. soybeans are grown in the Upper Midwest and the Corn Belt. During the last 10 years, over 40 percent 

of production was exported on average each year, relying on barge and rail transportation to be shipped to port.

 Domestic demand by the livestock and poultry sectors is serviced by truck and rail.

 The United States is losing its world market share to South America which has lower cost of production, increasing 

the importance of U.S. transportation efficiency to competitiveness.

 The majority of soybean exports are shipped through the Mississippi Gulf Coast (60 percent of 2013 soybean 

exports), but when the spread of ocean shipping cost between the Mississippi Gulf Coast and the Pacific Northwest 

(PNW) exceeds $30, it generally leads to a greater proportion of Asia-bound soybeans being shipped by rail to ports 

in the PNW. The ocean rate is the main driver for the choice of port for export, because inland barge 

transportation to the Mississippi Gulf is usually more efficient and less expensive than rail.

Introduction

Transportation is an essential part of agricultural marketing. America’s soybean farmers depend on an adequate and efficient

transportation system to move their crops to market and to bring them inputs such as fertilizer and seed, all of which are 

usually transported great distances.

Transportation demand is a derived demand because the production and consumption of an agricultural commodity create the 

demand for transportation services. As such, it is an essential part of marketing; any change in supply of or demand for the

underlying commodity can affect the transport system’s efficiency by bringing about either shortages or surpluses in 

transportation capacity. Short-term agricultural transportation demand is influenced by weather-related transportation 

Marina R. Denicoff Marvin E. Prater Pierre Bahizi
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disruptions, variation in annual crop size and location, the timing of planting and harvesting, global trade patterns, crop quality 

concerns, competition in production by other countries, and commodity price fluctuations. These and other factors can 

translate into unexpected shifts in transportation patterns and costs, adding to the commodity price risk to be managed by 

agricultural producers, processors, and shippers.

The United States is the world’s largest soybean producer and until 2012/13, it was the largest soybean exporter. Soybeans 

comprise about 90 percent of U.S. oilseed production; peanuts, sunflower seed, canola, flax, and other oilseeds make up the 

remainder.1 U.S. acreage planted to soybeans trails only that of corn. Soybeans are the primary source of high-protein feed in 

the world and are also used for biofuel, vegetable oil, and other food products. 

Supply and Demand

Acreage devoted to growing soybeans increased steadily during the 1990s, but growth stabilized during the 2000s with a 

record high of 77.0 million acres planted in 2009/10 and 2010/11. In Figure 1, production in millions of bushels is indicated by

the bars and read from the left axis, while planted acres in millions of acres is shown by the line and read from the right axis. In 

2013/14, 76 million planted acres were forecast, the third highest acreage on record, and 3 percent greater than the previous

10-year average of 74.0 million acres. More than 80 percent of U.S. soybean acreage is concentrated in the Upper Midwest, 

although significant amounts are still planted in the historically important areas of the Delta and Southeast, mostly for local 

feed use.2

1 USDA/Economic Research Service Soybean and Oil Crops Overview. http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/soybeans-oil-crops.aspx. 

Web page accessed April 2014. 

2 USDA/National Agricultural Statistics Service, Soybeans: Planted Acreage by County, Web: <http://www.nass.usda.gov

Charts_and_Maps/Crops_County/sb-pl.asp> Web page accessed February 2014.

Figure 1: Soybean production and planted acreage, 1995/96 to 2013/14*

*Forecast

Note: Years on horizontal axis indicate harvest years; “95” represents the harvest year 1995/1996.

Source: AMS analysis of data from Table 2, USDA/Economic Research Service, Oil Crops Yearbook, March 31, 2014. 
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Over the past decade, soybean production increased marginally and has fluctuated mostly with the acreage planted. 

USDA’s World Agricultural Outlook Board publishes monthly forecasts, which are important to world grain and oilseed 

merchandisers in price valuation and marketing decisions. For example, during winter of 2014, the timeframe of this analysis, 

2013/14 soybean production was forecast to be 3.0 billion bushels, 34 percent higher than 2003/04 production. Soybean 

production reached a peak 3.4 billion bushels in 2009/10, and the average from 2002/03 to 2012/13 was approximately 3.0 

billion bushels.3

Soybeans are processed in crushing facilities (thus the term “crush” in table 1) to create two value-added products, meal and 

oil. Soybean meal is primarily used for high-protein animal feed. Domestic and foreign demand for soybeans is closely tied to 

the livestock and poultry industry in the United States and abroad. According to Soy Info Center, “a small proportion of 

soybean meal is used to make defatted soy flour, soy protein concentrates and isolates, and textured soy protein products.”4 

Soybean oil can be further processed after crushing into cooking oil or left unprocessed and used in the production of 

biodiesel.5 The United States is the world’s second largest exporter of soybeans after Brazil, with exports accounting for an 

average of 41 percent of total use from 2004 to 2013 (see table 1).6

 

3 USDA/Economic Research Service Soybean and Oil Crops Overview. http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/soybeans-oil-crops.aspx. 

Web page accessed April 2014. USDA/Economic Research (ERS): Oil Crops Yearbook, Table 2.

4 Soy Info Center. <http://www.soyinfocenter.com/HSS/soybean_crushing1.php>. Web page accessed August 2014.

5 How the Global Oilseed and Grain Trade Works. U.S. Soybean Export Council, with Soyatech and HighQuest Partners, April 2012.

6 USDA/Economic Research Service soybean yearbook tables, 2014, <http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/oil-crops-yearbook.aspx>. Web page 

accessed May 2014.
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Table 1: United States soybean supply and demand, 1995 to 2013

*Forecast

Source: USDA/Economic Research Service soybean yearbook tables, 2014

Supply Use

Year Beginning 

Stocks Production Total Supply Crush Exports Seed, Feed and Residual

Total 

Use

Ending 

Stocks

Ending 

Stocks/Use

― Million Bushels ―

1995/96 335 2,174 2,514 1,370 849 111 2,330 183 8%

1996/97 183 2,380 2,573 1,436 886 119 2,441 132 5%

1997/98 132 2,689 2,826 1,597 874 155 2,626 200 8%

1998/99 200 2,741 2,944 1,590 805 201 2,596 348 13%

1999/00 348 2,654 3,006 1,578 973 165 2,716 290 11%

2000/01 290 2,758 3,052 1,640 996 168 2,804 248 9%

2001/02 248 2,891 3,141 1,700 1,064 169 2,933 208 7%

2002/03 208 2,756 2,969 1,615 1,044 131 2,791 178 6%

2003/04 178 2,454 2,638 1,530 887 109 2,525 112 4%

2004/05 112 3,124 3,242 1,696 1,097 193 2,986 256 9%

2005/06 256 3,068 3,327 1,739 940 199 2,878 449 16%

2006/07 449 3,197 3,655 1,808 1,116 157 3,081 574 19%

2007/08 574 2,677 3,261 1,803 1,159 94 3,056 205 7%

2008/09 205 2,967 3,185 1,662 1,279 106 3,047 138 5%

2009/10 138 3,359 3,512 1,752 1,499 110 3,361 151 4%

2010/11 151 3,329 3,495 1,648 1,501 130 3,280 215 7%

2011/12 215 3,094 3,325 1,703 1,365 88 3,155 169 5%

2012/13* 169 3,034 3,239 1,689 1,320 90 3,099 141 5%

2013/14* 141 3,289 3,454 1,700 1,495 109 3,304 150 5%
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According to USDA long-term projections to 2023, U.S. soybean production is expected to grow gradually over the next decade 

(see figure 2).7 The crush demand for high-protein soybean feed by the domestic livestock and poultry sectors, and demand for 

soybean oil, is expected to increase slightly, offsetting the expectation of almost no growth in exports. Long-term projections

do not take into account annual fluctuations in supply and demand, but if these long-term projections materialize, then 

transportation demand for moving soybeans would have a greater impact on the trucking sector, as trucks are the primary 

mode for moving soybeans to domestic markets (see Soybean Modal Shares section.)

Transportation Implications

U.S. soybean production is concentrated in the Midwest. In 2013, the largest soybean-growing States were Illinois, Iowa, 

Minnesota, Indiana, Nebraska, and Ohio, each of which produced over 200 million bushels. Together, these six States 

accounted for 57 percent of U.S. soybean production.8

Because of their importance as a source of protein in feed, soybeans are shipped from the growing regions in the Upper 

Midwest and the Corn Belt to areas with crushing facilities and areas of concentrated pork and poultry operations, which are 

located in the South and Southeast. About 45 percent of U.S. soybean production is exported. It is moved to major ports for

export—mostly via barge to the Mississippi Gulf and rail to the Pacific Northwest.10 An efficient and effective transportation 

7 USDA/Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin Agricultural Long-term Projections to 2023, February 2014. http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/corn/

background.aspx 

8 USDA/National Agricultural Statistics Service State-level production statistics, 2001-2013. 

9 Top 5 States in the South and Southeast with high protein consuming animal units include: Georgia, Arkansas, Alabama, North Carolina, and 

Mississippi. These five States have 10 of the 93 crushing facilities. 

10 USDA 2007 Census of Agriculture, county- level animal inventories.

Figure 2: U.S. soybean production and use projections, 2013 to 2023

Source: USDA/Office of the Chief Economist agricultural projections to 2023, February 2014 . 
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network is important for U.S. soybean growers to maintain a competitive edge in the world market. Figure 3 shows the 

relationship between the soybean producing region and areas of feed demand, export locations, and biodiesel production 

facilities. Biodiesel production facilities, unlike ethanol biorefineries, are not concentrated in one particular region, making 

transportation of feedstocks more complex. Feedstocks for production of biodiesel are made from an increasingly diverse mix 

of resources including agricultural oils, recycled cooking oil, and animal fats, possibly explaining the dispersed location of 

biodiesel refineries.11 Most soybeans used domestically are moved from growing regions to nearby crushing facilities by truck. 

In 2011, there were 93 soybean crushing facilities in the United States, with almost 67 (over 70 percent) of them located in the

soybean growing States, with the highest concentration in Iowa (17), Illinois (12), Minnesota (8), and Indiana (7).12 The 

waterways and main rail lines in Figure 3 demonstrate the critical links between farmers and their markets. 

11 National Biodiesel Board. <http://www.biodiesel.org/>. Web page accessed August 2014.

12 Soyatech. <http://www.soyatech.com/bluebook_ref/references/UScrushers.pdf>. Web page accessed August 2014. 

13 USDA/Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration Interior land-based inspections of grain are conducted at 

several inland locations throughout the United States. USDA/AMS Grain Transportation Report. June 6, 2013. 

Figure 3: 2013 Soybean production by county, bio-diesel plants, export port regions, and HPAU* by State
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Soybean Modal Shares

From 2002 to 2011, soybeans accounted for 19 percent of U.S. grain moved by all modes of inland transportation (truck, barge,

and rail). The large majority of soybeans used domestically were carried by truck (see table 2). From 2002 to 2011, 85 percent

of domestic soybean transportation was by trucks, 13 percent was by rail, and 3 percent by barge. Because trucks are used to

move soybeans to crush facilities, it is not surprising that trucks have a high modal share.

Table 2: Soybean modal shares, 2002 to 2011

Year & Type of Movement 

Rail Barge Truck 

1,000 Tons Percent 1,000 Tons Percent 1,000 Tons Percent

Total 

2002 16,550 19 21,399 25 47,405 56

2003 17,735 21 20,167 24 47,047 55

2004 15,029 21 17,053 24 40,449 56

2005 16,141 20 16,332 20 49,878 61

2006 19,862 24 16,221 19 47,521 57

2007 19,478 23 16,327 19 48,388 57

2008 20,899 23 16,326 18 51,931 58

2009 25,745 26 21,569 22 50,413 52

2010 26,778 26 23,472 23 51,439 51

2011 19,055 21 19,962 22 50,156 56

Average 19,727 22 18,883 22 48,463 56

Export 

2002 9,477 31 19,642 64 1,387 5

2003 11,270 33 18,632 55 4,245 12

2004 8,496 31 15,412 56 3,578 13

2005 10,676 34 15,030 47 5,956 19

2006 13,541 44 15,240 50 1,725 6

2007 12,524 37 15,242 45 6,381 19

2008 14,492 39 15,089 40 7,757 21

2009 19,694 44 20,634 46 4,288 10

2010 20,484 44 21,864 47 3,895 8

2011 12,041 31 18,793 49 7,627 20

Average 13,270 37 17,558 50 4,684 13

Domestic 

2002 7,072 13 1,758 3 46,018 84

2003 6,465 13 1,535 3 42,802 84

2004 6,533 15 1,641 4 36,872 82

2005 5,465 11 1,302 3 43,922 87

2006 6,321 12 982 2 45,795 86

2007 6,953 14 1,086 2 42,007 84

2008 6,407 12 1,237 2 44,174 85

2009 6,051 11 936 2 46,125 87

2010 6,294 11 1,608 3 47,544 86

2011 7,015 14 1,169 2 42,529 84

Average 6,458 13 1,325 3 43,779 85

Source: USDA/Agricultural Marketing Service, Transportation of U.S. Grains: A Modal Share Analysis, 1978-2011 Update
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Exports, which flow through coastal ports and border crossings far from areas of soybean production, are delivered to those 

ports primarily by barge and rail (see figure 4). In 2002, 64 percent of soybean exports were carried by barge and 31 percent 

were delivered by rail. Since that time, the modal share of rail has increased. During 2011, 31 percent of export-bound 

soybeans were shipped by rail and 49 percent by barge. Twenty percent of soybean exports were transported by trucks 

during 2011.14

Transportation Underlies U.S. Competitiveness

An efficient transportation network is one of the key elements for U.S. soybean growers to remain competitive in the world 

market as foreign competition in export markets continues to strengthen. Continued economic and population growth around 

the world is expected to increase demand for vegetable oils and protein meal for animal feed. The world soybean trade is 

projected to increase 40 million tons (36 percent) over the next 10 years, with Brazil firmly taking the lead as the world’s major 

soybean exporter.15 Prior to 2012/2013, the United States had been the world’s leading soybean exporter. U.S. transportation 

infrastructure plays a major role in keeping U.S. soybeans competitive in world markets.16

14 USDA/Agricultural Marketing Service, Transportation of U.S. Grains: A Modal Share Analysis, 1978-2011 Update, 2013.

<http://dx.doi.org/10.9752/TS049.05-2013>. 

15 USDA/World Agricultural Outlook Board Agricultural Long-term Projections to 2023, February 2014. 

16 Salin, Delmy L., USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service, Soybean Transportation Guide: Brazil 2013, June 2014.

Figure 4: Modal shares of soybean exports, 2002 to 2011

Source: USDA/Agricultural Marketing Service, Transportation of U.S. Grains: A Modal Share Analysis, 1978-2011 Update.
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Argentina, Brazil, and the United States account for about 85 percent of total soybean, soybean meal, and soybean oil exports. 

Yet U.S. exporters are able to remain competitive against lower foreign production costs because of the United States’ 

advantage in domestic and transoceanic transportation. Figure 5 shows the relationship between the United States and Brazil 

transportation costs for shipping soybeans from domestic production regions to China, including ocean shipping rates. U.S. 

transportation costs via two routes (U.S. Gulf and PNW) are consistently much lower than Brazil’s transportation costs of 

shipping soybeans from North Mato Grosso through Santos. The United States has also generally had an advantage over 

Brazil’s costs of shipping soybeans from South Goias through Paranagua to China. 

Figure 6 shows the costs by mode of transportation (truck, rail, and ocean) of shipping soybeans from Minnesota to Japan 

through the Pacific Northwest from the first quarter (Q1) 2005 to Q4 2013. Total transportation costs averaged $96.3/metric 

ton (mt) over the period, with prices spiking from Q3 2007 to Q3 2008. The rise in prices was mostly due to increases in ocean 

shipping rates, which rose from $38.85/mt in Q1 2007 to $84.2/mt in Q4 2007 and spiked in 2008 because of higher diesel fuel 

prices and an increase in bulk shipping demand due to massive infrastructure development by China in preparation for the 

2008 Summer Olympics. Since 2009, the Gulf-to-Japan ocean rates have been relatively stable. In general, fuel prices, port 

congestion, and global demand for bulk ocean services can all contribute to higher ocean transportation costs. Figure 7 shows 

the spread (difference) in total transportation costs between shipping through the Mississippi Gulf and the Pacific Northwest. 

From Q1 2005 to Q4 2013, shipping through the Gulf was, on average, $4.46/mt more expensive.17

Figure 5: U.S. versus Brazil soybean transportation costs to Shanghai, China

U.S. Gulf: From Minneapolis, MN; Pacific Northwest (PNW): From Fargo, ND, through the Pacific Northwest; consistent data available only since 

2009; Santos: From North Mato Grosso, Brazil; Paranagua: From South Goias, Brazil

Source: Salin, Delmy L., USDA/Agricultural Marketing Service, Soybean Transportation Guide: Brazil 2013, June 2014. 

17 USDA/Agricultural Marketing Service Transportation Services Division Grain Cost Estimators, 2012.
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Figure 6: Transportation costs for soybean exports, Minnesota to Japan via PNW, 2005 to 2013

Q=quarter

Source: USDA/Agricultural Marketing Service, Transportation Services Division, Transportation costs for major grains, 2013.

Figure 7: Spread of total soybean transportation costs between Gulf to Japan and Pacific Northwest (PNW) to Japan (Gulf 

total costs minus PNW total costs), 2005 to 2013

Q=quarter

Source: USDA/Agricultural Marketing Service, Transportation Services Division, Transportation costs for major grains, 2014.
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Soybean Exports 

The majority of soybean exports are shipped through the Mississippi Gulf region—60 percent in 2013 (see figure 8). Another 

24 percent was shipped through the Pacific Northwest while the remainder was shipped through other ports.18

In 2013, the top five destinations for American soybeans were, in order, China, Mexico, Indonesia, Japan, and the Netherlands. 

Together, these five countries accounted for 82 percent of all U.S. soybean exports. Figure 9 shows the amount exported to 

each of these five countries and their share of the total.

18 USDA/Federal Grain Inspection Service grain inspections, 2013.

Figure 8: U.S. soybean exports by port region, 2013

*Pacific Northwest

Source: USDA/Federal Grain Inspection Service grain inspections 2014. 

Figure 9: Soybean exports by destination country, 2013 

Source: USDA/Federal Grain Inspection Service grain inspections 2014. 
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Figure 10 shows the increase in China’s soybean imports in million metric tons since 1995 on the right vertical axis. The U.S. 

market share of the Chinese soybean imports, shown in percentage on the left vertical axis, fluctuated in the 1990s, reaching a 

peak of 66 percent of all soybeans imported by China in 2003/04. Since then, the average U.S. market share has ranged from 

30 to 45 percent of total soybean imports by China, with the rest of the soybean imports fulfilled with South American 

soybeans, especially from Brazil as it became the leading soybean exporter in 2012/13.

Conclusion

Growth in demand for U.S. soybeans over the past 10 years occurred mostly in Asia, especially mainland China. Over the next 

10 years, however, USDA projects that most of the growth in demand for U.S. soybeans will occur in the domestic demand 

categories. Domestic soybean processors will continue to rely on efficient truck transportation, creating the need for 

continued investment in highway and bridge infrastructure to support intra- and inter-State commerce. To remain 

competitive with Brazil, which is investing heavily in its transportation infrastructure, U.S. rail and barge transportation 

must remain competitive for U.S. soybeans to continue to compete with the lower-cost-of-production soybeans from 

South America.

Source: USDA/Agricultural Marketing Service Analysis of USDA/Foreign Agriculture Service data. 

Source: USDA/Agricultural Marketing Service Analysis of USDA/Foreign Agricultural Service data.

Figure 10: U.S. market share of Chinese soybean imports
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References

1. USDA Economic Research Service (ERS). Soybean Yearbook Tables: 

<http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/oil-crops-yearbook.aspx> 

2. USDA/ERS briefing room: <http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/soybeans-oil-crops.aspx>

3. USDA/National Agricultural Statistics Service, Quick Stats <http://quickstats.nass.usda.gov>

4. USDA/Agricultural Marketing Service, Transportation of U.S. Grains: A Modal Share Analysis, May 2013. Web. 

<http://dx.doi.org/10.9752/TS049.05-2013>

For more information, contact:

Marina Denicoff, (202) 690-3244, Marina.Denicoff@ams.usda.gov

Pierre Bahizi, (202) 690-0992 or Pierre.Bahizi@ams.usda.gov 

Preferred citation:

Denicoff, Marina R., Marvin Prater, and Pierre Bahizi, Soybean Transportation Profile. U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Agricultural Marketing Service, October 2014. Web http://dx.doi.org/10.9752/TS203.10-2014

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