BNSF eyes Asia for grain export market
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefBNSF Railway reportedly is investing about $680 million to tap a 29% increase in exports of specialty grains headed for Asia. BNSF is concentrating its investment in its container yards, mostly Midwest where most corn and soybeans are grown.
Products such as organic or genetically modified soybeans are being moved by intermodal containers that all too often have been empty on the backhaul moves to Asia, reflecting in part an intermodal trade imbalance.
“As the world has now neared or surpassed 7 billion people in population, there’s a direct correlation in this increasing demand and rising tide for exports,” said BNSF Vice President of International Marketing Fred Malesa. “Containers and global containerization are playing a significant role in meeting that demand.”
The Department of Agriculture says seaborne grain-container deliveries to Asia climbed 29% in the first eight months of 2011, and industry observers say the increased use of containers for agriculture product exports is likely to continue.
