| Export Sales Summary | ||||
| Ending | Weekly Sales 1000 MT (Cotton in 1000 RB) | Sales Needed Per Week to Meet USDA Est. | Current Yr % of USDA Est | 5 Yr. Avg. % of USDA Est |
| Soybeans - 2025/2026 Marketing Year | ||||
| Dec-18 | 987.1 | 491.6 | 59.6% | 78.1% |
| Dec-11 | 2,396.2 | 498.3 | 76.8% | 76.8% |
| Dec-04 | 1,552.1 | 547.5 | 73.6% | 73.6% |
| Nov-27 | 1,106.0 | 572.9 | 71.4% | 71.4% |
| Nov-20 | 2,320.7 | 586.0 | 69.2% | 69.2% |
| Soymeal - 2025/2026 Marketing Year | ||||
| Dec-18 | 299.1 | 211.4 | 50.4% | 47.8% |
| Dec-11 | 616.5 | 213.5 | 46.1% | 46.1% |
| Dec-04 | 275.5 | 222.9 | 44.2% | 44.2% |
| Nov-27 | 436.0 | 224.1 | 42.8% | 42.8% |
| Nov-20 | 151.0 | 228.8 | 41.4% | 41.4% |
| Bean Oil - 2025/2026 Marketing Year | ||||
| Dec-18 | 49.2 | 3.7 | 62.9% | 37.5% |
| Dec-11 | 8.7 | 4.8 | 35.3% | 35.3% |
| Dec-04 | 1.2 | 4.9 | 31.9% | 31.9% |
| Nov-27 | 25.5 | 4.8 | 30.4% | 30.4% |
| Nov-20 | 7.5 | 5.3 | 29.9% | 29.9% |
| Corn - 2025/2026 Marketing Year | ||||
| Dec-18 | 2,202.3 | 774.6 | 63.7% | 55.3% |
| Dec-11 | 1,744.1 | 812.6 | 53.6% | 53.6% |
| Dec-04 | 1,478.9 | 836.8 | 51.3% | 51.3% |
| Nov-27 | 1,792.2 | 853.0 | 49.5% | 49.5% |
| Nov-20 | 1,843.2 | 876.1 | 47.5% | 47.5% |
| Wheat - 2025/2026 Marketing Year | ||||
| Dec-18 | 147.8 | 125.5 | 81.3% | 73.5% |
| Dec-11 | 432.6 | 126.1 | 71.6% | 71.6% |
| Dec-04 | 381.5 | 134.0 | 68.2% | 68.2% |
| Nov-27 | 460.7 | 140.3 | 66.7% | 66.7% |
| Nov-20 | 361.7 | 148.2 | 65.2% | 65.2% |
| Cotton - 2025/2026 Marketing Year | ||||
| Dec-18 | 182.7 | 167.7 | 50.9% | 70.3% |
| Dec-11 | 304.7 | 168.1 | 68.9% | 68.9% |
| Dec-04 | 153.3 | 171.7 | 67.5% | 67.5% |
| Nov-27 | 135.9 | 171.2 | 65.9% | 65.9% |
| Nov-20 | 148.4 | 170.3 | 64.0% | 64.0% |
| Weekly Export Sales Estimates | ||||
| Range | Last | |||
| Current & Next Year | Low | High | Week | Year |
| Corn | 1000 | 2000 | n/a | n/a |
| Soybeans | 1400 | 2400 | n/a | n/a |
| Soybean Meal | 200 | 500 | n/a | n/a |
| Soybean Oil | 0 | 24 | n/a | n/a |
| Wheat | -50 | 400 | n/a | n/a |
Highlights
SOY COMPLEX
The Export Sales Report showed that for the week ending December 18, net soybean sales came in at 987,082 tonnes for the current marketing year and -4,800 for the next marketing year for a total of 982,282. Cumulative soybean sales have reached 59.6% of the USDA forecast for the 2025/2026 marketing year versus a 5 year average of 78.1%. Sales need to average 492,000 tonnes per week to reach the USDA forecast.
Net meal sales came in at 299,131 tonnes for the current marketing year and 1,545 for the next marketing year for a total of 300,676. Cumulative meal sales have reached 50.4% of the USDA forecast for the 2025/2026 marketing year versus a 5 year average of 47.8%. Sales need to average 211,000 tonnes per week to reach the USDA forecast.
Net oil sales came in at 49,197 tonnes for the current marketing year and -23,500 for the next marketing year for a total of 25,697. Cumulative oil sales have reached 62.9% of the USDA forecast for the 2025/2026 marketing year versus a 5 year average of 37.5%. Sales need to average 3,700 tonnes per week to reach the USDA forecast.
CORN
The Export Sales Report showed that for the week ending December 18, net corn sales came in at 2,202,287 tonnes for the current marketing year and 21,405 for the next marketing year for a total of 2,223,692. Cumulative sales have reached 63.7% of the USDA forecast for the 2025/2026 marketing year versus a 5 year average of 55.3%. Sales need to average 775,000 tonnes per week to reach the USDA forecast.
WHEAT
The Export Sales Report showed that for the week ending December 18, net wheat sales came in at 147,834 tonnes for the current marketing year and 46,450 for the next marketing year for a total of 194,284. Cumulative sales have reached 81.3% of the USDA forecast for the 2025/2026 marketing year versus a 5 year average of 73.5%. Sales need to average 125,000 tonnes per week to reach the USDA forecast.
COTTON
The Export Sales Report showed that for the week ending December 18, net cotton sales came in at 182,680 bales for the current marketing year and 880 for the next marketing year for a total of 183,560. Cumulative sales have reached 50.9% of the USDA forecast for the 2025/2026 marketing year versus a 5 year average of 70.3%. Sales need to average 168,000 bales per week to reach the USDA forecast.
Definition
The Export Sales Reporting Program monitors U.S. agricultural export sales on a daily and weekly basis.
The program requires U.S. exporters to report sales of certain commodities to FAS each week. Commodities currently covered by the program are wheat, wheat products, barley, corn, grain sorghum, oats, rye, rice, soybeans, soybean cake and meal, soybean oil, cotton, cottonseed, cottonseed cake and meal, cottonseed oil, sunflowerseed oil, flaxseed, linseed oil, cattle hides and skins, beef and pork. FAS publishes a weekly summary of export sales activity every Thursday at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time, unless a change is announced.
In addition to the weekly requirement, daily reporting is required when a single exporter sells 100,000 metric tons or more of wheat, corn, grain sorghum, barley, oats, soybeans, soybean cake or soybean meal, or 20,000 metric tons or more of of soybean oil, to a single destination on a single day. FAS issues a summary of daily sales at 9 a.m. Eastern time on the following business day. Daily sales are also included in the weekly report. (See the latest daily sales reports below, under News.)
Description
This report allows analysts to monitor export activity for US agricultural products, including actively -traded contracts like corn, wheat, soybeans, soybean meal, soybean oil, cotton, pork and beef. The report tracks sales and physical exports for the week ending the prior Thursday.
Sales vs. Shipments
"Sales" are reported as they occur, which is often well ahead of the actual export date. They can be cancelled, too. Sales are sometimes reported for the following marketing year, and as the end of a year approaches, the sales for the next year increase. At the end of a given year, any sales that have not been shipped are moved into the next year's tally.
Analysts often track the amount of unshipped sales. If that number is unusually high, analysts may wonder about potential cancellations.
Similar to the Export Inspections report, analysts like to compare the current year's export sales pace with previous years. They also measure the pace of sales against the USDA's export forecast for the entire marketing year. For example, if cumulative US soybean export sales have reached 45% of the USDA's forecast for the entire marketing year, while the five-year average for that week was only 40%, it would suggest that exports are running stronger than what the USDA has forecast. This could draw an analyst to conclude that the USDA will revise its export forecast higher in future Supply/Demand (WASDE) reports.
This report also includes detail on which countries made the purchases. This includes"unknown," which analysts often infer to be China.
This report is not as timely as the Export Inspections report, as comes three days later and is a full week after the"as of" date. However, it covers many more products, including soybean meal, soybean oil, cotton, pork and several others. And because it presents sales as well as exports, it is more forward-looking.