U.S. Sets New Corn and Ethanol Export Records

It was a record year for some corn-related exports. Ellen Zimmerman, director of industry relations with the U.S. Grains & Bioproducts Council, states, “We hit a record for corn exports, 72 and a half million metric tons, with Mexico being our top customer. We also hit a record for ethanol exports at over 2 billion gallons for the first time, with Canada being our number one market.”

Andrew Brandt, director of trade policy with the Council, says those totals demonstrate the importance of the U.S. – Mexico – Canada trade agreement as it comes up for review next year.

“We are 100% in favor of the USMCA being extended and continued.”  Brandt says, “This has been a very, very positive agreement for us. They want to tweak other areas outside of agriculture, that’s their prerogative, but we’re pretty happy with the ag provisions and hope they kind of just leave them alone.”

EDITOR’S TAKE:

Welcome news for corn farmers! Record exports of corn and ethanol certainly help provide a better foundation for corn prices. In addition, production in most areas of the corn belt was up compared to 2024. The headwinds, however, are the large global grain stocks that weigh on the market. That said, without strong exports, the price of corn could be much lower. The latest projection for 2025 is around $4.22 to $4.70 per bushel.

While corn prices have been volatile and the cost of production has been a concern, many farmers will still be trading or purchasing a new truck in the next few months. So, keep them on that customer prospect list, put your inventory on AgTruckTrader.com® and be sure to promote AgPack® during the sales process.