U.S. GRAIN EXPORTS BY OUTLET AND END MARKET, 1992
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In 1992 calendar year, U.S. grain exports were 105.5 Mt, 5.2% higher than the 100.3 Mt in 1991. As a result, grain exports through two of the four U.S. seaboard outlets were positively affected. Similarly, the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Seaway (GL-SLS) share of total U.S. grain exports rose to 4.9% in 1992, up from 3.4% in 1991. This contributed to almost 52.0% increases in the GL-SLS U.S. grain traffic to 5.1 Mt from 3.4 Mt in 1991.
Grain exports through the U.S. Gulf in 1991 were 74.7 Mt, 6.0% above the 70.5 Mt handled in 1991. The share of this outlet of total1 U.S. grain exports, at 70.8%, was slightly higher than the 70.3% in 1991. In contrast, exports through the U.S. Pacific decreased by 3.6% from 21.0 Mt to 20.2 Mt and its share of total U.S. grain exports declined from 20.9% to 19.2%. Meanwhile, grain exports through the U.S. Atlantic shrank by 23.7% to 2.7 Mt and its share at 2.5% was lower than the 3.5% in 1991.
U.S. GRAIN EXPORT SITUATION
U.S. grain production in the 1991-92 crop year was 328.9 Mt, 8.1% below the 357.8 Mt of 1990-91. On the other hand, grain stocks at the beginning of the year were 80.4 Mt, 20.2% above the previous season. Meanwhile, U.S. grain exports in 1991-92 were 104.2 Mt compared to 96.2 Mt in 1990-91.
Grain exports for the 1992 calendar year were 105.5 Mt, 5.2% above the 100.3 Mt in 1991 but 1.4% below the 107.0 Mt average of the last five years.
Asia imported 44.3 Mt of U.S. grain in 1992, 1.1% above the 43.8 Mt in 1991 but its share of total U.S. grain exports slightly decreased from 43.7% to 42.0%. The Commonwealth of Independent States (C.I.S.), former Soviet Union, which ranked second, imported 14.2 Mt, 19.2% below the 17.6 Mt in 1991 and its share of total U.S. grain exports declined from 17.6% to 13.5%.
North Africa & the Middle East ranked third and imported 13.94 Mt, accounting for 13.2% of total U.S. grain exports. Latin America followed with 13.86 Mt and 13.1% share, Western Europe (11.1 Mt / 10.5%), Other Africa (6.6 Mt / 6.3% compared to 1.3 Mt / 1.3% in 1991), Canada (1.0 Mt / 0.9%) and Eastern Europe1 (0.4 Mt / 0.4%).
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 1992 were 5.16 Mt, 51.9 % above the 3.4 Mt in 1991 and 5.9% higher than the 4.9 Mt average of the last five years. Meanwhile, the share of this outlet of total U.S. grain exports rose to 4.9% from 3.4% in 1991 and from the 4.6% average of the last five years.
The increase of U.S. grain exports through the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Seaway in 1992 can be mainly attributed to stronger U.S. grain exports to Canada, Western Europe and the C.I.S..
North Africa & the Middle East received 1.5 Mt of U.S. grain through the GL-SLS 1992, representing 29.0% of total U.S. grain exported through the waterway - a sharp decline from the 45.8% in 1991. Western Europe outranked the C.I.S. for the second place with 1.3 Mt accounting 24.9% of total U.S. grain exported through the waterway. The C.I.S. followed with 1.1 Mt and 20.6% share, Canada (1.0 Mt / 19.4%), Asia (0.09 Mt / 1.7%) and Latin America, Other Africa and Eastern Europe each (0.08 Mt / 1.5%) and (0.05 Mt / 1.4%).
THE U.S. ATLANTIC
U.S. grain exports through the U.S. Atlantic in 1992 were 2.7 Mt, 23.6% below the 3.5 Mt in 1991 and 35.6% lower than the 4.2 Mt average of the last five years. The share of this outlet of total U.S. grain exports in 1992 also declined to 2.5% from 3.5% in 1991 and from the 3.9% average of the last five years.
Western Europe received almost 0.8 Mt of U.S. grain via the Atlantic outlet in 1992, 20.6% less than the 1.0 Mt in 1991. The share of this market represented 28.6% of total U.S. grain exported through this outlet in 1992 compared to 27.5% in 1991.
Asia ranked second and received 0.55 Mt of U.S. grain through the Atlantic outlet in 1992, accounting for 20.5% of all U.S. grain exported via this outlet. The C.I.S. followed with 0.54 Mt and 20.2% share, North Africa & the Middle East (0..5 Mt / 18.8%), Latin America (0.16 Mt / 5.9%), Other Africa (0.13 Mt / 4.8%) and Eastern Europe (0.03 Mt / 1.2%).
THE U.S. GULF
U.S. grain exports through the U.S. Gulf in 1992 were 74.7 Mt, 5.9% higher than the 70.5 Mt in 1991 and 3.4% above the 72.2 Mt average of the last five years. Meanwhile, the share of this outlet of total U.S. grain exports rose to 70.8% from 70.3% in 1991 and from the 67.5% average of the last five years.
Asia received 25.5 Mt of U.S. grain via the U.S. Gulf in 1992, 1.7% higher than the 25.0 Mt in 1991. This represented 34.1% of total U.S. grain exported through this seaboard outlet. The C.I.S. ranked second, with 12.3 Mt, 22.6.% lower than the 15.9 Mt in 1991. Exports to this market also accounted for 16.4% of all U.S. grain exported through this outlet in 1992, down from 22.5% in 1991. Latin America followed with 10.7 Mt and 14.3% share, North Africa & the Middle East (10.6 Mt / 14.2%), Western Europe (9.0 Mt / 12.1%), Other Africa (6.3 Mt / 8.4%) and Eastern Europe (0.4 Mt / 0.4%).
THE U.S. PACIFIC
U.S. grain exports through the U.S. Pacific in 1992 were 20.2 Mt, 14.7% below the 21.0 Mt in 1991 and 14.7% lower than the 23.7 Mt average of the last five years. Meanwhile, the share of this outlet of total U.S. grain exports decreased to 19.1% from 20.9% in 1991 and from the 22.1% average of the last five years.
Asia received 18.2 Mt of U.S. grain via the U.S. Pacific in 1992, similar to 1991. Exports to this market represented 90.0.% of all U.S. grain exported through this seaboard outlet in 1992, up from 86.6% in 1991. North Africa & the Middle East ranked far second with 1.35 Mt, accounting for 6.7% of all U.S. grain exported via the U.S. Pacific. The C.I.S. followed with 0.36 Mt and 1.8% share, Latin America (0.16 Mt / 0.8%), Other Africa (0.13 Mt / 0.6%) and Western Europe (0.02 Mt / 0.1%).