News
Trading Hay - Exchange Rates
Hay exports from the U.S. to Japan have been exceptionally weak. Japan represents 29% of U.S. hay exports. Comparing January through August of 2023 to the same period a year earlier, exports are down 38% or 351,000 metric tons.
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West Coast Ports
Hay is the largest containerized export from the Northwest Seaport Alliance at Seattle and Tacoma. Increasing tensions between the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) threatens an already ailing hay market.
Hay Exports to South Korea - USDA Misses the Mark
Hay Kings is calling on the USDA FAS to issue a report discussing factors affecting demand for U.S. hay in the largest export destinations: China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Additionally, the USDA AMS should recognize that exchange rates are always important to agricultural exports, market structures are complex and the hay industry is based on long-standing interpersonal relationships.
Hay Export Crash in Q4
Grass hay exports fell 27.3% in Q4, down 92,000 metric tons. This comes following poor export sales in Q3, down 53,000 metric tons or 18%. The grass hay market is significantly smaller than the alfalfa market. An additional 145,000 tons of unshipped grass hay is substantial and will cause a drastic correction in 2023.