WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. wheat exporters faced higher transportation costs to Japan in the second quarter of 2026, raising total landed costs from both Kansas and North Dakota through Pacific Northwest and Gulf routes. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service says every route increased from both the previous quarter and a year earlier.
Kansas-to-Pacific Northwest transportation costs rose 11% quarter to quarter and 9% year to year. North Dakota-to-Pacific Northwest costs increased 10% from the first quarter and 14% from a year earlier.
Gulf routes posted even larger increases. Kansas-to-Gulf transportation costs climbed 16% quarter to quarter and 23% year to year, while North Dakota-to-Gulf costs rose 15% and 25%, respectively.
Higher truck, rail and ocean freight rates drove the increases. Ocean freight was especially costly, rising 18% quarter to quarter on Pacific Northwest routes and 26% through the Gulf.
U.S. wheat exports to Japan totaled about 18.4 million bushels in the second quarter, down 26% from the previous quarter and 7% from a year earlier.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Higher freight costs are making U.S. wheat more expensive to deliver to Japan, adding pressure to export competitiveness.