(NDAgConnection.com) – To provide efficient access and bolster international trade markets for U.S. soybean meal, the United Soybean Board (USB) will invest $400,000 in the research, analysis and design costs of the Port of Grays Harbor’s Terminal 4 Expansion and Redevelopment Project. The terminal, located in Aberdeen, WA, plays an important role in international exports.

“The Port of Grays Harbor is critical in expanding high-value soybean meal exports. Farmers recognize this through their checkoff to fund significant work informing these upgrades that bring value to all U.S. soybean farmers,” said Tony Johanson, USB director and Soy Transportation Coalition board member from Nebraska.

“I’m proud of our farmers’ commitment to enhance and maintain U.S. infrastructure. Doing so helps sustain our competitive advantage over global competitors.”

USB joins the Soy Transportation Coalition, Iowa Soybean Association, Kansas Soybean Commission, Nebraska Soybean Board, North Dakota Soybean Council and South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, bringing the total farmer research investment to $1.3 million.

Earlier this year, AG Processing Inc. (AGP), an Omaha-based cooperative that owns and operates 10 soybean processing facilities in the Midwest, announced it would expand its export terminal at the Port of Grays Harbor.

Scheduled to be operational in 2025, the upgrades will allow the AGP terminal to increase soybean meal exports from three to six million metric tons. To accommodate the growth, the Port of Grays Harbor will expand the rail infrastructure, allowing the terminal to handle the volume and mitigate traffic congestion in the community.