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4 U.S. soy state by planted acres, which ships about 70% of its harvest of the high-protein oilseed to China annually. Instead, the new facilities will be able to process half of the state's soy harvest into oil for biofuel and meal for livestock feed. The crush plant will draw soybeans from farmers 60 miles in each direction, said Mike Keller, vice president with ADM. EXPORT EXPANSIONU.S. grain exports have been reaching global buyers for decades via Gulf Coast and Pacific Northwest terminals. U.S. soybean farmers and industry groups pledged an additional $1.3 million to help offset design and development costs.

☆ Buffett's Berkshire sheds large portion of US Bancorp stake
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In a regulatory filing, Berkshire said it owned just over 53 million U.S. Bancorp shares, for a 3.6% stake, on Oct. 31, down from 144.7 million shares, or 9.8%, on Dec. 31, 2021. Berkshire began investing in the Minneapolis-based bank in 2006, according to regulatory filings. U.S. Bancorp and Buffett's assistant did not immediately respond to requests for comment after market hours. Berkshire owned $126.5 billion of the iPhone maker's shares on Sept. 30. On Nov. 14, Berkshire is expected in a regulatory filing to disclose more information about its U.S.-listed stock holdings.

☆ U.S. railroads, union extend strike deadline until at least Dec. 4
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - A group representing major railroads and a union that voted to reject a new contract said Wednesday they had agreed to extend a potential strike deadline until at least Dec. 4. The NCCC said the "extension eliminates the threat of a near-term freight rail service disruption." Another union representing about 4,900 locomotive machinists, roadway mechanics, and facility maintenance personnel on Saturday narrowly ratified the tentative contract agreement. The union was the seventh of 12 to approve the deal, while BMWED and the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS) union, representing more than 6,000 members, voted against the deal. The unions represent 115,000 workers at railroads, including Union Pacific (UNP.N), BNSF, CSX (CSX.O), Norfolk Southern (NSC.N) and Kansas City Southern.

☆ Key freight rail union BMWED extends deadline for strike that threatens U.S. economy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division, the third largest rail union in the country, is extending its status quo period (no strike, no lockout) during which it wants to continue negotiations with the freight rail carriers. Meanwhile, two major rail unions are set to vote on ratifying the deal on Nov. 21: The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and the Smart Transportation Division. The rail industry has previously estimated the cost to the economy of a rail strike at $2 billion per day. The BMWED was the first rail union to vote against ratification of a labor agreement negotiated in conjunction with Biden's PEB. All 12 labor unions must ratify a labor agreement to avoid the potential for a nationwide rail shutdown.

☆ Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway likely boosted its Chevron bet last quarter. Here are 6 key insights from its Q3 earnings.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Berkshire benefited from higher interest rates and a stronger US dollar. It also revealed the billion-dollar hit to its insurance business from Hurricane Ian, and the positive impact of higher interest rates and a stronger US dollar on its operations. The discrepancy suggests it raised its stake to about 170 million shares last quarter. It owned about 908 million shares of the iPhone maker at the end of December, and purchased nearly 4 million more shares in the second quarter of this year. The US central bank's rate increases boosted the amount of interest that Berkshire earned on its cash and Treasury bills.

☆ Berkshire Hathaway could boost earnings after Occidental accounting change
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 5 (Reuters) - Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) could soon see a boost to its bottom line after changing its accounting for its big stake in Occidental Petroleum Corp (OXY.N). In its quarterly report on Saturday, Berkshire said it adopted the equity method of accounting for its 20.9% stake in Occidental, which is worth more than $14 billion. Accounting rules normally require the equity method when one company's stake in another reaches 20%, reflecting an assumption that the first company might exert significant influence. Kraft Heinz is controlled by Berkshire and Brazil's 3G Capital, and its board includes three directors from Berkshire. Some investors and analysts have said Berkshire could eventually buy Occidental, diversifying its energy portfolio.

☆ Buffett's Berkshire loses money as stocks, Hurricane Ian offset rising demand
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Nov 5 (Reuters) - Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) on Saturday posted a $2.69 billion third-quarter loss as rising inflation, falling stock investments and a big loss from Hurricane Ian offset improvement in many of the conglomerate's businesses. Berkshire also bought back more of its own stock but was cautious, repurchasing $1.05 billion, similar to the second quarter. Berkshire also said rising costs from fuel and accidents hurt respective results at two of its best-known businesses, the BNSF railroad and Geico auto insurer. Results included $10.45 billion of losses from investments and derivatives, as the stock prices of many large Berkshire investments other than Apple Inc (AAPL.O) fell. Results improved despite a $2.7 billion after-tax loss from Ian, a strong Category 4 hurricane that slammed into Florida on Sept. 28.

☆ Buffett's Berkshire loses money as stocks, Hurricane Ian offset higher demand
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Nov 5 (Reuters) - Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) on Saturday posted a $2.69 billion third-quarter loss as rising inflation, falling stock investments and a big loss from Hurricane Ian offset improvement in many of the conglomerate's businesses. It also bought back more of its own stock but was cautious, repurchasing $1.05 billion, similar to the second quarter. It also said rising costs hurt results at two of its best-known businesses, the BNSF railroad and Geico auto insurer. That helped offset a $2.7 billion after-tax loss from Ian, a strong Category 4 hurricane that slammed into Florida on Sept. 28. Net results included $10.45 billion of losses from investments and derivatives, as the stock prices of many large Berkshire investments other than Apple Inc (AAPL.O) fell.

☆ Berkshire Hathaway posts quarterly loss as stocks, Hurricane Ian weigh
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nov 5 (Reuters) - Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) on Saturday posted a third-quarter loss, as falling stock investments and a big loss from Hurricane Ian offset improvement in many of its industrial businesses. Berkshire posted a quarterly net loss of $2.69 billion, or $1,832 per Class A share, compared with a profit of $10.34 billion, or $6,882 per share, a year earlier. Geico, meanwhile, suffered its fifth straight quarterly underwriting loss, reflecting "significant cost inflation" from damages claims, used car prices and shortages of car parts. Net results included $10.45 billion of losses from investments and derivatives, as the stock prices of many large Berkshire investments fell. This causes large quarterly swings in results that Buffett says are usually meaningless.

☆ U.S. rail union representing 4,900 workers narrowly approves contract
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 5 (Reuters) - A labor union representing about 4,900 rail workers said on Saturday that members narrowly ratified a tentative contract agreement with freight railroads in the United States. The union representing locomotive machinists, roadway mechanics, and facility maintenance personnel is the seventh of 12 to approve the deal, while two unions previously voted to reject the national deal announced in mid-September. Last month, the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS) union, representing more than 6,000 members, voted against the deal as did the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWED), which represents 11,000 workers. The rail deal included a 24% percent wage increase over a five-year period from 2020 through 2024 as well $1,000 lump sum payments in each of the next five years. The unions represent 115,000 workers at railroads including Union Pacific (UNP.N), BNSF, CSX (CSX.O), Norfolk Southern (NSC.N) and Kansas City Southern .

☆ More than 300 groups urge Biden involvement to avoid rail shutdown
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - More than 300 groups including the National Retail Federation and National Association of Manufacturers on Thursday urged President Joe Biden's involvement to help avoid a potential rail strike that could have significant impacts on the U.S. economy. On Wednesday, a second union voted against ratifying a national tentative agreement reached in mid-September, raising prospects of a labor disruption later this year. "If that were to be the case, we could witness a strike that would shut down the entire freight rail system." The unions represent 115,000 workers at railroads including Union Pacific (UNP.N), BNSF, CSX (CSX.O), Norfolk Southern (NSC.N) and Kansas City Southern . The rail deal included a 24% wage increase over a five-year period from 2020 through 2024 as well $1,000 lump sum payments in each of the next five years.

☆ $228 Million Privacy Ruling Against Rail Giant Is ‘Wake-Up Call’ for Third-Party Risk
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( David Uberti | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Companies have paid out eye-popping sums in recent years to settle claims they violated Illinois’s biometric privacy law. Last week, a historic legal judgment against BNSF Railway Co. highlighted that data lapses by third-party contractors also don’t come cheap. A jury’s award of $228 million to truck drivers whose fingerprints were scanned without proper consent signaled that businesses can’t blame data violations on vendors, privacy lawyers say. Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act provides little distinction between companies and contractors that process data on their behalf, upping the ante for firms as they vet potential vendors’ data practices and structure contracts. There is no comprehensive federal privacy law.

☆ Union Pacific cuts volume growth forecast as worker shortage weighs
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Union Pacific rail car is parked at a Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) train yard in Seattle, Washington, U.S., February 10, 2017. REUTERS/Chris HelgrenOct 20 (Reuters) - Union Pacific Corp (UNP.N) on Thursday cut its annual volume growth forecast despite a rise in third-quarter shipments, as the U.S. railroad operator struggles with worker shortages. "Inflationary pressures and operational inefficiencies continued to challenge us," Union Pacific Chief Executive Officer Lance Fritz said in a statement. The company trimmed its forecast for full-year volume growth to about 3% from 4%-5%, even after a 3% rise in the third quarter led by higher coal and renewables shipments. Excluding a $114 million charge from the tentative labor deal, the company posted a net income of $3.19 per share, ahead of Refinitiv IBES estimates of $3.06 per share.

☆ Renewed threat of rail strike has supply chain managers ramping up contingency plans
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Logistics managers are dusting off their plans for a possible railroad strike in November that could wreak havoc on the supply chain and cost the U.S. economy up to $2 billion a day. "Now is not the time to introduce new demands that rekindle the prospect of a railroad strike," the NCCC said in a statement. Tom Nightingale, CEO of AFS Logistics, tells CNBC that logistics managers are fielding calls from customers in anticipation of a possible strike. "Shippers had a lot of sensitivity to the potential rail strike," Nightingale said. "Shippers don't want cargo with a limited shelf life sitting at a rail yard, particularly commodities like chemicals and refrigerated food and beverage," he said.

☆ Choked-Up Yards and Trailer Shortages Box In America’s Truckers
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-08 | by ( Paul Berger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +8 min

“There’s a lot more hours and a lot more waiting, just because there’s no chassis.” Mr. Carrera said. Mr. Carrera uncouples a truck trailer, known as a chassis, from his rig at a yard outside Chicago. Mr. Carrera works as an independent owner-operator for California Cartage, a subsidiary of NFI Industries, a Camden, N.J.-based logistics and trucking operator. Mr. Carrera arrived at the container yard that held the Michaels box at about 6:45 a.m. His was the seventh truck in line when the yard opened. There was another empty container waiting nearby that needed to be picked up.

☆ New York is now the nation's busiest port in a historic tipping point for U.S.-bound trade
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

This comes as the flow of trade continues to move away from the West Coast with logistics managers worried about a labor strike or lockout. More East Coast trade, and more port congestionThe CNBC Supply Chain Heat Map for the U.S. shows how the continued increase in trade has East Coast ports and Gulf port as the winners in this movement of freight. Maritime prices fallingThe flow of trade away from the West Coast has decreased the demand for vessel space, leading Far East to West Coast maritime freight prices to fall. "Shippers are still bringing in a lot of containers, on the East Coast and West Coast and Gulf Coast as well." Shippers are still hesitant to return re-routed cargo to the U.S. West coast, Sand said.

The White House struck a tentative deal Thursday to avoid a rail strike that risked major disruptions across the United States, with freight workers securing a key demand. Pandemic pressures, including those that scrambled supply chains, worked in freight workers’ favor, logistics experts said. A rail strike would dent many industries, as about 40% of goods that are shipped long-distance rely on the nation’s rail system. Rail workers often are on-call 24/7 year-round and are allotted time off only after being called to a number of consecutive on-call shifts. A labor union source told NBC News that getting rail carriers to negotiate on attendance policies was a major breakthrough.

☆ U.S. railways steer clear of crisis
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TORONTO, Sept 15 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The narrowly averted shutdown of U.S. rail services should avoid widespread economic damage, at least for now. A rail shutdown could potentially be six or seven times as costly as the February shuttering of the Ambassador Bridge route connecting Windsor, Ontario and Detroit. Biden has plenty of competing priorities on his plate, including battling inflation and looming midterm Congressional elections read more . (By Sharon Lam)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterFollow @Breakingviews on Twitter(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Amtrak announced Wednesday it is suspending long-distance routes ahead of a Friday night deadline to avert a strike along the country's freight rail lines. Much of Amtrak's long-distance service runs on freight tracks. The company had already suspended 10 of 15 routes when it made the announcement around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday that service on its five remaining long-distance routes would be suspended. The cancellations, which will take effect late Thursday, will affect 23 trains on the BNSF Railway, Union Pacific North, Union Pacific Northwest and Union Pacific West lines. The Associated Press reported that by 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, one labor union had already rejected a deal.

☆ Biden names board to help end freight railroad and union contract disputes
▼ + stars: | 2022-07-18 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] A commercial freight train carries a load of shipping containers at the Port of Savannah, Georgia, U.S. October 17, 2021. REUTERS/Octavio JonesJuly 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday named the members of an emergency board tasked with helping resolve disputes between freight rail carriers and their unions, the White House said. read moreBiden named Ira F. Jaffe to chair the presidential emergency board. If Biden had not created the board by Monday, railroads and unions could have opted for operational shutdowns or strikes, respectively. Talks between major freight railroads, including Union Pacific (UNP.N) and Berkshire Hathaway (BRKa.N)-owned BNSF, and unions representing their workers have dragged on for more than two years.

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