Corn futures achieved gains following the holiday slowdown, with front months increasing by 6 to 7 cents. As of the latest readings, the CmdtyView national average cash corn price rose by 7.5 cents, reaching $4.06 ¾.
During the week ending January 1, the USDA reported corn export shipments at 1.207 million metric tons (MMT), a 9.6% decrease from the previous week but 37.58% higher than the same week last year. Japan was the leading import destination, receiving 294,366 MT, while Mexico imported 243,382 MT and Guatemala 90,557 MT. Year-to-date exports for the 2025/26 marketing year totaled 26.81 MMT, marking a 64.83% increase over the previous year.
Additionally, export sales data revealed 756,419 MT of corn sold in the week of December 25, the lowest of the marketing year and slightly below last year’s figures. Managed money switched back to a net short position of 23,584 contracts in corn futures and options as of December 30.
