Grain flows reroute as freight economics change
Dry bulk rates are redrawing the map of least-cost origin for several importing regions.
Delivered cost, not production cost, decides which origin wins a tender. That truism has rarely been more visible than in the current grain market.
Shifts in dry bulk freight have made some traditionally competitive origins expensive on a landed basis, while others have gained share without changing their farmgate economics at all.
Traders expect the pattern to persist while vessel supply remains tight on the routes concerned.
Daniel Okonkwo — Shipping & Logistics Correspondent. Daniel reports on tanker freight, bunkering and port infrastructure across Europe, West Africa and the Gulf.
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