More than 138 grain traders, purchasing managers and integrators from around the world gathered last week in Singapore at the 4th Southeast Asia Grain Transportation Conference. This conference, jointly organized by the American Soybean Association-International Marketing and the U.S. Grains Council, helped foster the sale of 400,000 metric tons of U.S. corn and their co-products.

Themed “Shipping and Supply Chain: The Next Decade,� the conference speakers shared their perspective on the changing landscape in international trade and ocean transportation for agricultural products in the near future.

“The conference was intended to update attendees on bulk and container freight markets,� said Adel Yusupov, USGC regional director in Southeast Asia. “Freight contributes to approximately 40 percent of the delivered cost to Southeast Asia, so freight risk management is very important. The agenda focused on U.S. West Coast-SEA freight issues while the conference provided a venue to promote U.S. feed grains and oilseed product exports.�

Council members in attendance included DeLong Company Inc., Trans Coastal Supply Company Inc., Valero Marketing & Supply Company, Louis Dreyfus Commodities, AGP, Cargill, Bunge North America Inc. and Touton USA Limited.