# Low water on US rivers leads to a shift in some export routes

> Drought-driven low water and winter freezing on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers reduced barge draft capacity. Freight costs to New Orleans export markets rose and pushed some trade to other routes, with St. Louis water levels falling below the low threshold in early February.

- Date: 2026-02-11 · published 2026-02-11T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/16387-low-water-on-us-rivers-leads-to-a-shift-in-some-export-routes
- Commodities: [Barge Freight (St. Louis)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARGE.md)

## Why it matters

Higher freight costs lower interior cash bids relative to world export values, widening the basis for farmers and feed buyers. Restricted draft tightens capacity across both rail and barge.

## Read by commodity

- BARGE: bullish ▲

## Sources

- ofimagazine.com: https://www.ofimagazine.com/news/low-water-on-us-rivers-leads-to-a-shift-in-some-export-routes

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.