USDA’s latest grain export inspection report, out Monday morning and covering the week through December 11, held another mixed bag of data for traders to digest. Corn remained relatively strong despite seeing week-over-week declines. Soybeans also retreated moderately lower and fell below the entire range of analyst estimates. Wheat volume was solid after moderately besting the prior week’s total.
Corn export inspections faded to 62.3 million bushels last week. However, that was still on the very high end of analyst estimates, which ranged between 39.4 million and 63.0 million bushels. Cumulative totals for the 2025-26 marketing year have jumped 69% above last year’s pace so far after reaching 885.5 million bushels.
Japan was the No. 1 destination for U.S. corn export inspections last week, with 10.7 million bushels. Mexico, Spain, Colombia and Vietnam rounded out the top five.
Sorghum export inspections improved to 2.8 million bushels last week. The entirety of that grain is bound for China. Cumulative totals for the 2025-26 marketing year are still trending at less than half of last year’s pace after reaching 21.3 million bushels.
Soybean export inspections were lackluster after reaching 29.2 million bushels in the week through December 11. Analysts missed the mark after offering trade guesses that ranged between 36.7 million and 45.9 million bushels. Cumulative totals for the 2025-26 marketing year are 46% below last year’s pace so far after reaching 503.1 million bushels.
China was the No. 1 destination for U.S. soybean export inspections last week, with 7.4 million bushels. Germany, Vietnam, Mexico and the Netherlands filled out the top five.
Wheat export inspections reached 17.9 million bushels last week. That was on the very high end of analyst estimates, which ranged between 9.2 million and 18.4 million bushels. Cumulative totals for the 2025-26 marketing year are at 518.9 million bushels, which is a 22% year-over-year improvement so far.
The Philippines topped all destinations for U.S. wheat export inspections last week, with 4.2 million bushels. Mexico, Vietnam, Japan and Indonesia rounded out the top five.
Click here for additional highlights from today’s USDA grain export inspection report.