U.S. GRAIN EXPORTS BY OUTLET AND END MARKET, 1990
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In
1990, U.S. grain exports were 103.8 Mt, 12.1% lower than the
118.1 Mt in 1989. The decline in grain exports to the Soviet
Union and Asia was the main reason for the drop in total U.S.
grain exports in 1990. While U.S. grain exports to these two
major markets as well as to North Africa & Middle East and
Canada declined, exports to Eastern Europe, Latin America and
other Africa increased.
Grain exports through the U.S. Gulf in 1990 were 69.5 Mt, 10.2%
below the 77.4 Mt handled in 1989 but the share of this outlet of
total1 U.S grain exports, at 66.9%, was slightly higher than the
65.5% in 1989. Exports through the U.S. Pacific also decreased by
8.2% from 26.7 Mt to 24.5 Mt but its share of total U.S grain
exports rose by 1% to 23.6%.
Meanwhile, the Seaway share of total U.S. grain exports shrank
from 5.1% to 4.1% bringing its U.S. grain traffic to 4.2 Mt down
by 30% from 6.0 Mt in 1989. Similarly, exports through the U.S.
Atlantic, which showed some strength early in the year, declined
by 29% to 4.3 Mt and its share was 1% lower than the 5.1% in
1989.
U.S. GRAIN EXPORT SITUATION
U.S. grain
production in the 1989-90 crop year is estimated to be 330 Mt,
36% above the 242 Mt of the drought stricken crop of 1988-1989.
Stocks at the beginning of 1989-90 were about 90 Mt, 49% below a
year earlier. Meanwhile, U.S. grain exports, which are estimated
to be 120 Mt in 1989-90 are expected to decline to 106 Mt in
1990-91.
U.S. grain exports for the 1990 calendar year were 103.8 Mt,
12.1% lower than the 118.1 Mt in 1989 but 6.4% above the 97.6 Mt
average of the last five years. The decline in grain exports to
the Soviet Union and Asia was the main reason for the drop of
total U.S. grain exports in 1989.
Asia imported 46.1 Mt of U.S. grain, 9.5% below the 50.9 Mt in
1989. Nevertheless, the share of this market of total U.S. grain
exports slightly increased from 43.1% in 1989 to 44.4% in 1990.
The Soviet Union, which ranked second in 1989, imported 13.5.Mt
in 1990 and ranked fourth after Latin America. This is 46.5%
below the 25.3 Mt in 1989. Moreover, the share of this outlet of
total U.S. grain exports also declined from 21.4% to 13%.
North Africa & the Middle East, which ranked second in 1990,
imported 15.1 Mt, accounting for 14.5% of total U.S. grain
exports. Latin America followed with 14.3 Mt or 13.8% share, the
Soviet Union (13.5 Mt / 13%), Western Europe (9.8 Mt / 9.5%),
Eastern Europe (3.6 Mt / 3.5%), Other Africa (1.0 Mt / 1.0%) and
Canada (0.3 Mt/ 0.3%) .
The impact of the U.S. grain export situation was reflected in
the level and direction of grain flowing through alternative U.S.
seaboard outlets .
THE
GREAT LAKES - ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY
U.S. grain exports through the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Seaway
in 1990 were 4.22 Mt, 30% below the 6.0 Mt in 1989 and 26.1% less
than the 5.7 Mt average of the last five years. Meanwhile, the
share of this outlet of total U.S. grain exports shrank to 4.1%
from 5.1% in 1989 and from 5.9% average of the last five years.
The decline of U.S. grain exports through the Great Lakes - St.
Lawrence Seaway in 1990 can be mainly attributed to strong U.S.
grain exports early in the year - when the Seaway was closed -
followed by a sharp decline in exports to traditional Seaway
markets, particularly to the Soviet Union, in the months that
followed .
North Africa & the Middle East received 2.1 Mt of U.S. grain
through the Seaway in 1990, representing almost 50% of total U.S.
grain exported through the waterway. Western Europe ranked far
second with 1.0 Mt, accounting for 24% of U.S. grain exported
through the Seaway. Canada followed with a slightly higher than
0.3 Mt and 8.3% share, Eastern Europe (0.3 Mt / 7.7%), the Soviet
Union (0.25 Mt / 5.9%, down from 1.5 Mt / 25%), Other Africa
(0.14 Mt / 3.3%) and Asia (0.05 Mt /1.2%).
THE
U.S. ATLANTIC
U.S. grain exports through the U.S. Atlantic in 1990 were 4.27
Mt, 28.9% below the 6.0 Mt in 1989 and 27.4% lower than the 5.9
Mt average of the last five years.
The share of this outlet of total U.S. grain exports also
declined to 4.1% from 5.1% in 1989 and from the 6.0% average of
the last five years.
Western Europe received 1.2 Mt of U.S. grain through the U.S.
Atlantic in 1990, almost 84% increase over the 0.7 Mt in 1989.
This represented 28.4% of total grain exported through this U.S.
Atlantic outlet. It is relevant to note that 79% of these exports
were made during the first three months of the year.
The Soviet Union ranked second with 0.9 Mt, accounting for 20.2%
of all U.S. grain exported via this outlet. North Africa &
the Middle East followed with 0.8 Mt and 19.0% share, Asia (0.8
Mt / 18%), Eastern Europe (0.4 Mt / 10.5%) and Latin America (0.2
Mt / 3.9%).
THE
U.S. GULF
U.S. grain exports through the U.S. Gulf in 1990 were 69.5 Mt,
10.2% lower than the 77.4 Mt in 1989 but 9% above the 63.8 Mt
average of the last five years. The share of this outlet of total
U.S. grain exports climbed to 66.9% from 65.5% in 1989 and from
the 65.4% average of the last five years .
The decline in U.S. grain exports through the Gulf in 1989 can be
attributed to the drop in the overall U.S. grain exports and
particularly exports to the Soviet Union through this outlet.
In 1990, Asia received 24 Mt of U.S. grain through the U.S. Gulf,
2% less than the 24.5 Mt in 1989. This represented 34.6% of total
U.S. grain exported through this outlet. Latin America ranked
second, with 12.4 Mt, accounting for 17.9% of all U.S. grain
exports through this outlet. The Soviet Union which ranked third,
received 12.0 Mt, 45.5% lower than the 22.0 Mt in 1989. North
Africa & the Middle East followed with 9.7 Mt or 14.0% share,
Western Europe (7.6 Mt / 10.9%), Eastern Europe (2.9 Mt / 4.1%)
and Other Africa (0.9 Mt / 1.2%).
THE
U.S. PACIFIC
U.S. grain exports through the U.S. Pacific in 1990 were 24.5 Mt,
8.2% below the 26.7 Mt in 1989 but 21.5% above the 20.2 Mt
average of the last five years. Meanwhile, the share of this
outlet of total U.S. grain exports rose to 23.6% from 22.6% in
1989 and from the 20.7% average of the last five years.
In 1990, Asia received 21.2 Mt of U.S. grain via the U.S.
Pacific, 15% lower than the 24.9 Mt in 1989. Exports to this
market represented 86.7.% of all U.S. grain exported through this
outlet, down from 93.5 % a year earlier. North Africa & the
Middle East ranked far second with 2.4 Mt, accounting for 9.9% of
all U.S. grain exported via the U.S. Pacific. The Soviet Union
followed with 0.4 Mt or 1.8% share, Latin America (0.4 Mt / 1.6%)
and Western Europe (0.01 Mt / 0.1%).