Current UCUI
68/100
Moderate-High Uncertainty
+4 points from prior reading
Potato Market Intelligence
Potato Starch Import Parity
Potato starch import parity calculates the fully landed cost at which a qualified foreign grade becomes comparable with domestic supply at a specific destination. Procurement can combine origin value, currency, freight, duty, port fees, inspection, financing, inland delivery, lead time, and qualification to test whether an international discount is actionable.
Market Data
How to read this market
Potato starch-import-parity data calculates the fully landed cost at which foreign starch becomes economically comparable with domestic supply. The market object is the matched imported grade by functionality, package, origin, shipment month, currency, duty or quota treatment, ocean and inland freight, port charges, inspection, financing, shrink, lead time, and destination.
Use the data to test whether an international discount is actionable, compare coastal and inland plants, and identify when imports provide credible negotiating or contingency supply. Include qualification and capacity constraints before treating parity as executable.
Data Module
Potato Starch Import Parity
Market objectmatched landed imported starch
Primary measuredestination import-parity cost
Key dimensionsgrade, origin, destination, shipment month
Commercial useimport-versus-domestic comparison
Cost stackcurrency, freight, duty, fees, financing
Compare withdomestic price, qualification, lead time
Analysis
Why this matters
A foreign starch price below the domestic benchmark does not imply import parity when freight, duty, inventory carrying cost, or qualification erase the gap. Parity can also differ sharply by destination.
Commercial interpretation should calculate the cost for the exact grade at the actual plant. Imports discipline domestic pricing only where sufficient qualified volume can arrive in time.
Signal 01
Usable Crop Uncertainty Index
UCUI translates crop and market complexity into a simple uncertainty signal. Higher readings indicate greater uncertainty—not necessarily higher prices.
Understand uncertainty. Anticipate risk. Act earlier.
UCUI is designed to analyze potato-industry publications and data signals across regions, varieties, weather, disease, storage, supply, and demand.
WeatherHigh
DiseaseHigh
StorageMedium
SupplyMedium
Single-day snapshot based on a scan of 11,500+ web and social signals. Get historical and real-time data by clicking the button below.
The MassGain Daily
Today’s market analysis.
A daily editorial synthesis of physical potato data, crop signals, market reporting, and what participants should watch next.
September 16, 2026Latest MassGain publication
Potato market steady for now; Russia’s smaller crop is the salient risk
Spot prices are flat and USDA terminal reports read ‘market steady,’ but a renewed forecast for a smaller Russian harvest and recent regional harvest stress leave seasonal import timing and storage losses as the key uncertainty.
Signal 02
MassGain Potato Index
Independent physical-pricing intelligence and market-trend analysis for procurement, forecasting, contracting, and scenario planning.
Core Russet Carton Median
312.45 USD/MT
Latest qualifying physical-market observation
+4.75 (+1.55%)
Price discovery for the physical potato market
MPI is designed to track physical pricing data, price trends, deltas, and divergences across regions and potato types.
Series window45 days
Current public coverageCore russet cartons
Primary source basisQualifying USDA physical rows
UnitUSD per metric tonne
Single-day snapshot based on most recent 45 days worth of data. Limited to US Russets only. Get more complete, global data about all varieties by clicking the button below.
Signal 03
MassGain Spot Reference
An independent spot reference designed for price discovery, contract discussions, procurement comparisons, and risk modeling.
Russet Burbank — U.S. Midsize
305 USD/MT
Demonstration reference format
+1.6% WoW · Confidence: High
A trusted benchmark for pricing, contracts, and risk
MSR is intended to use real transactions and verifiable physical-market data to support negotiations, price checks, contracting, and risk models.
ProductRusset Burbank
SpecificationU.S. midsize, 40–70 count
Reference typePhysical spot benchmark
StatusIn development
Based on most recent 45 days worth of data. Limited to US Russets only. Get more complete, global data about all varities by clicking the button below. Full access also includes historical data -- including depreciated NYMEX/CBOE/EEX spot references -- projections, trends, and AI-driven insights.
The MassGain Product Ladder
From insight to intelligence to action
Four integrated products built for the physical potato market, delivered through public pages, reports, exports, dashboards, and API access.
1
Content
Original research, commentary, aggregated news, and market updates.
- What matters right now?
- What is happening out there?
2
UCUI™
Usable Crop Uncertainty Index: an AI-powered signal of crop risk and market uncertainty.
- Understand uncertainty
- Anticipate risk
- Act earlier
3
MPI™
MassGain Potato Index: independent physical-pricing intelligence and trend analysis.
- Price discovery
- Regional trends
- Procurement planning
4
MSR™
MassGain Spot Reference: an independent benchmark for price discovery and risk modeling.
- Contracts
- Negotiations
- Risk models
Content + UCUI + MPI + MSR + API access
Get historical series, regional detail, constituent data, exports, alerts, and direct data access.
Overview
Who is this for?
Food processors and starch procurement teams use potato starch import parity to determine the fully landed cost at which foreign supply becomes economically comparable with domestic material. The calculation must match grade, functionality, package, origin, shipment month, currency, duty treatment, freight, port charges, inspection, financing, shrink, and inland delivery.
MassGain combines verified export or ex-works values with exchange rates, ocean and inland logistics, tariffs, quota status, brokerage, storage, and quality adjustments. It compares the resulting landed usable cost with domestic delivered quotes and internal purchase history. Procurement can identify when imports create a credible negotiating alternative. Finance can stress currency and freight. Market intelligence can see whether an apparent international discount is actionable or blocked by lead time, qualification, or capacity.
MassGain does not provide customs advice or guarantee shipment execution. It makes every component and assumption visible, preventing teams from using a foreign headline price that excludes essential costs or mismatches the required starch grade. Import parity can then support contract review, alternate-origin qualification, and contingency sourcing on a consistent commercial basis.
Use Case
A U.S. food processor sees European native starch quoted below domestic prices. MassGain adds ocean freight, duty, port fees, inland delivery, currency, and the cost of longer inventory. The import is competitive only for coastal plants, so procurement uses it as regional supplemental coverage rather than a national benchmark.
FAQs
What is potato starch import parity?
It is the matched landed cost at which imported starch is comparable with domestic supply.
Which costs belong in import parity?
Origin price, currency, freight, insurance, duty, fees, inspection, storage, financing, and inland delivery may belong.
How does MassGain test actionability?
It adds qualification, grade fit, capacity, lead time, and destination-specific usable cost.
Put this market intelligence to work
Get historical data, regional detail, benchmarks, alerts, exports, and API access tailored to your procurement
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Data and Methodology
Professional market-data standards
MassGain is building transparent public market infrastructure. Each live metric will identify its date, unit, coverage, methodology, and source basis.
Data provenance
MassGain uses public, licensed, contributed, and independently derived physical-market information. Source availability and publication schedules vary.
Timing and revisions
Figures may reflect the latest available observation rather than a same-day transaction. Source data and MassGain calculations may be corrected, restated, or revised.
Not transactional pricing
MassGain figures are informational reference values and do not constitute executable bids, offers, settlements, or guarantees that a transaction can occur at the displayed value.
No individualized advice
Content and data are provided for informational and analytical purposes and do not constitute financial, investment, legal, trading, or individualized procurement advice.
Independent publication
Certain observations may be derived from USDA reports. MassGain is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USDA.
Commercial use and licensing
Public display does not grant rights to reproduce, redistribute, republish, or incorporate MassGain indices or references into commercial products or contracts without authorization.