TEMCO Adds Houston Terminal for Grain Exports
Houston grain cooperatives and farmers gain a Gulf Coast route to global buyers beyond the Pacific Northwest.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Agriculture
CHS Inc. and Cargill plan to add Cargill's Houston export grain terminal to TEMCO LLC, their 24-year-old joint venture that currently operates three Pacific Northwest facilities. The move would extend TEMCO's export reach through the Port of Houston for grains, oilseeds and byproducts.
Why it matters
TEMCO's existing facilities ship primarily to Asia-Pacific markets, so adding a Gulf Coast terminal broadens the joint venture's routes beyond the Northwest. For Houston-area operators, it signals added export handling capacity and new options for local grain and oilseed movement.
The Houston terminal offers six million bushels of storage, capacity for 350 rail cars and annual handling of up to 250 million bushels. Those figures are the terminal's stated capacity, and the announcement does not provide a baseline comparison for them.
The players
CHS Inc.
A major U.S. agricultural cooperative with operations in grain marketing, farm supplies and energy, and a partner in the TEMCO joint venture.
Cargill
A large privately held agricultural commodity trader and processor with global grain and oilseed operations, and a co-owner of TEMCO.
TEMCO LLC
A grain export joint venture of CHS and Cargill that operates three Pacific Northwest facilities serving Asia-Pacific markets.
The details
The Houston facility sits roughly 40 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico via Galveston Bay and receives both trucks and railcars carrying a range of commodities for global export. Under the plan, CHS and Cargill would add the terminal to the TEMCO joint venture, giving it shipping access for grains, oilseeds and byproducts through the Port of Houston.
Timeline
November 3, 2026: CHS and Cargill announce plans to add the Houston terminal to TEMCO.
The CHS-Cargill TEMCO partnership has run for 24 years.
Market Landscape
TEMCO's current footprint rests entirely on Pacific Northwest ports feeding Asia-Pacific buyers. Adding a Gulf Coast terminal places the joint venture in a second export gateway and widens its reach into the Houston grain market.
Houston-area grain sellers and cooperatives should evaluate whether the expanded TEMCO export access creates new marketing options for their crops. Operators handling rail and truck logistics should watch for changes in terminal scheduling and volume once the integration takes effect.
The takeaway
The Houston addition gives TEMCO a Gulf Coast gateway alongside its Pacific Northwest ports, a shift that affects how regional grain moves to global buyers. Operators should monitor TEMCO's closing timeline and any announced changes to Houston terminal throughput, and consult qualified counsel before making contract decisions tied to the joint venture.
Further reading
For broader context on how grain exports move through regional ports, explore Agriculture coverage in Houston.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Feedstuffs.
