Current UCUI
68/100
Moderate-High Uncertainty
+4 points from prior reading
Potato Market Intelligence
Potato Trade Unit Price
Potato trade unit price is a value-per-quantity customs measure rather than a directly observed transaction quote. Importers and analysts can use it for relative pricing and route trends while checking volume, product mix, valuation basis, freight, and currency.
Market Data
How to read this market
Potato trade unit price is a derived customs measure calculated from reported trade value divided by reported quantity for a defined product, route, and period. It should preserve currency, valuation basis, partner, product code, and shipment volume because those factors determine how representative the average is.
Use it as a directional price proxy, not as a quoted transaction price. Compare the ratio with regional physical benchmarks, product mix, freight, and adjacent trade codes, and treat low-volume periods cautiously.
Data Module
Potato Trade Unit Price
ObjectCustoms value divided by trade quantity
DimensionsProduct, route, partner, period, currency
BasisImport or export valuation convention
Commercial useRelative price and parity analysis
ComparisonPhysical market benchmarks and freight
WatchpointShipment mix can move the average sharply
Analysis
Why this matters
A trade unit price matters because customs data often provides broad market visibility where transaction prices are sparse. But the ratio can move even if like-for-like pricing does not, especially when shipments shift toward coated, premium, seed, or other higher-value products.
Low quantities amplify that problem. The best interpretation checks volume, mix, valuation basis, and route before treating a movement as a genuine market price signal.
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?
This page is for importers, exporters, processors, procurement teams, and market analysts that need a comparable price proxy from customs data. Potato trade unit price divides reported trade value by reported quantity for a defined product, route, and period. MassGain helps users calculate and interpret that ratio while preserving currency, valuation basis, product code, unit, partner, and shipment mix.
A customs unit price is not necessarily an observed transaction price. It can be influenced by product quality, package, contract terms, freight, insurance, tariffs, reporting thresholds, and changes in the composition of shipments. MassGain compares the calculated value with physical-market benchmarks, historical route relationships, and adjacent product codes and flags periods with low quantities or unstable mix. Procurement teams can evaluate import alternatives, exporters can monitor realization by destination, analysts can study cross-border spreads, and finance can separate currency from commercial movement. The result is a qualified benchmark that is useful for trend and relative comparison without pretending that every tonne in the customs category is identical. Users can see whether a change reflects genuine like-for-like pricing, freight and valuation differences, or a shift toward higher- or lower-value products.
Use Case
A buyer notices the customs unit price for frozen potato imports has risen 18%. MassGain shows shipment volume shifted toward coated specialty products and the reporting basis includes higher freight, so procurement does not apply the full increase to standard fries.
FAQs
How is potato trade unit price calculated?
It is generally calculated as reported trade value divided by reported trade quantity.
Is a customs unit price a transaction price?
Not necessarily. It is an average proxy affected by mix, valuation, freight, and reporting.
When is the measure least reliable?
It is less reliable when volumes are small, product mix changes sharply, or units and valuations are inconsistent.
Put this market intelligence to work
Get historical data, regional detail, benchmarks, alerts, exports, and API access tailored to your procurement
and market-analysis needs.
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.