Exports
USSEC
The Pennsylvania Soybean Board contributes soy checkoff funds to a U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) feasibility study of the potential for soybeans in niche export markets via bulk vessel shipping off East Coast ports and in bulk containers.
Containerization is a system of freight transport using standard shipping containers that can be loaded and sealed intact onto ships, trains, planes or trucks.
According to USSEC, “the trend of containerized shipping for bulk agricultural products is moving upward because of several factors. There is a huge imbalance of container traffic between the U.S. and Asia and to some extent the European Union. More than half of the containers loaded in Asia and shipped to the U.S. return to Asia empty.”
“There is an opportunity to take advantage of empty containers returning to export markets. U.S. soybean producers and industry (whether agricultural or retail) have the opportunity to use these empty containers to their advantage. There are other benefits to choosing this mode of transportation: most importantly, keeping the quality of U.S. produced soybeans high and offering a competitive advantage for the U.S. soybean industry.”
Click here to learn more about the soy checkoff’s efforts to build and maintain international markets.
Infrastructure improvements benefit soybean growers
Dredging the lower Mississippi River could have numerous positive effects for American agriculture, including increased revenues for U.S. soybean farmers. This fact sheet shares state-specific information on the many benefits the dredging project would bring to both Pa. and U.S. farmers and export countries.