USWC Soybean Exports See First-Half 2026 Recovery

Measured in tonnage, soybean shipments from U.S. West Coast ports rebounded in the first half of 2026 from last year’s collapse with an 83.6% y/y gain, due largely to a 126.1% leap in exports to China. The trade, largely noncontainerized, was transported principally through three Washington State ports on the Columbia River, Kalama, Longview, and Vancouver.

Normally, most soybeans are shipped in bulk. The rare equivalence in 2025 was due to the plunge in exports to China as Beijing responded to higher tariffs the White House had decided to impose on Chinese goods entering the United States. As the Chinese have resumed buying U.S. soybeans, the containerized share of overall soybean shipments from USWC ports in the first half of this year has fallen to 21.8%.