# River challenges could shift shipping demand to Great Lakes

> A feature piece highlights the St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes ports as a direct grain export route, noting about 10.5 million tons of grain moved through the seaway in 2023. It argues these ports could absorb shipping demand if Mississippi River problems persist.

- Date: 2024-11-01 · published 2024-11-01T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/16492-river-challenges-could-shift-shipping-demand-to-great-lakes
- Commodities: [Barge Freight (St. Louis)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARGE.md), [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md), [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md)

## Why it matters

Shifts in export routing between Gulf and Great Lakes ports can change regional basis and freight spreads, but the effect on overall grain prices is limited.

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2019-03-21 | [Northern snow melt could delay grain shipping on the Mississippi River - Brownfield Ag News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/59980-northern-snow-melt-could-delay-grain-shipping-on-the-mississippi-river.md) | -1.2% | -4.1% |
| CORN | 2023-09-28 | [Shipping Industry Grapples With How to Adapt to Changing Mississippi River Flows](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16606-shipping-industry-grapples-with-how-to-adapt-to-changing-mississippi-river-flows.md) | +1.1% | +1.7% |
| CORN | 2017-04-13 | [Decreased demand for grain transportation lowers shipping rates \| World-grain.com \| April 13, 2017 14:17 \| World Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/71400-decreased-demand-for-grain-transportation-lowers-shipping-rates-world-grain-com.md) | -2.1% | +0.9% |
| CORN | 2020-09-16 | [Mississippi River Ship Channel Deepening to 50 Feet Begins \| Port NOLA](https://feedsoft.ai/events/50998-mississippi-river-ship-channel-deepening-to-50-feet-begins-port-nola.md) | +1.1% | +4.7% |
| CORN | 2022-03-18 | [U.S. Grain Shipping Costs Soar With War and Drought Swinging Demand](https://feedsoft.ai/events/42459-u-s-grain-shipping-costs-soar-with-war-and-drought-swinging-demand.md) | +0.0% | +6.2% |
| SOY | 2023-09-28 | [Shipping Industry Grapples With How to Adapt to Changing Mississippi River Flows](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16606-shipping-industry-grapples-with-how-to-adapt-to-changing-mississippi-river-flows.md) | -2.3% | -1.2% |
| SOY | 2021-10-01 | [Harvest Shipping Faces Logistics Challenges - The Waterways Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/44432-harvest-shipping-faces-logistics-challenges-the-waterways-journal.md) | -0.7% | -1.8% |
| SOY | 2020-09-16 | [Mississippi River Ship Channel Deepening to 50 Feet Begins \| Port NOLA](https://feedsoft.ai/events/50998-mississippi-river-ship-channel-deepening-to-50-feet-begins-port-nola.md) | +2.8% | +5.3% |

## Sources

- waterwayscouncil.org: https://waterwayscouncil.org/media/in-the-news/article/2024/11/river-challenges-could-shift-shipping-demand-to-great-lakes

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