# Barge traffic back to normal; lock closures loom – Illinois Business Journal

> Barge traffic is returning to normal on the lower Mississippi, with water levels back to normal south of Cairo after low water last fall. Barge freight rates are falling as planting season approaches, though bulk rate contracts out of New Orleans are 15 to 20 percent above a year ago. Upper Illinois River locks are scheduled to close for rehabilitation from June 1 through September 30.

- Date: 2023-02-08 · published 2023-02-08T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/16654-barge-traffic-back-to-normal-lock-closures-loom-illinois-business-journal
- Commodities: [Barge Freight (St. Louis)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARGE.md), [Urea](https://feedsoft.ai/c/UREA.md), [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md)

## Why it matters

Lower barge freight improves the economics of moving grain south and fertilizer north, while planned lock closures on the Illinois River could tighten capacity this summer.

## Read by commodity

- CORN: neutral
- UREA: neutral
- BARGE: bearish ▼

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| UREA | 2026-03-26 | [The Mississippi River is open for business early - Brownfield Ag News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16382-the-mississippi-river-is-open-for-business-early-brownfield-ag-news.md) | +10.4% | +11.0% |
| UREA | 2020-07-06 | [Essential Fertilizers Ride the Coronavirus Storm Across the Globe - AgriBusiness Global](https://feedsoft.ai/events/52065-essential-fertilizers-ride-the-coronavirus-storm-across-the-globe-agribusiness.md) | +2.2% | +10.3% |
| UREA | 2023-09-20 | [Earthquakes in Morocco Cause Supply Affliction for Phosphoric Acid, Impacting Global Fertilizer Market](https://feedsoft.ai/events/34431-earthquakes-in-morocco-cause-supply-affliction-for-phosphoric-acid-impacting.md) | -0.5% | -6.2% |
| UREA | 2026-10-08 | [European Natural Gas Prices Defy Rebound in Middle Eastern LNG Shipments](https://feedsoft.ai/events/629-european-natural-gas-prices-defy-rebound-in-middle-eastern-lng-shipments.md) | +2.3% | +2.6% |
| UREA | 2023-04-22 | [US fertilizer prices continue short-term rise, while all other markets decline.](https://feedsoft.ai/events/36731-us-fertilizer-prices-continue-short-term-rise-while-all-other-markets-decline.md) | +3.2% | +5.6% |
| CORN | 2017-05-03 | [Coast Guard closes portion of Upper Mississippi River to all vessel traffic – Illinois Business Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/71173-coast-guard-closes-portion-of-upper-mississippi-river-to-all-vessel-traffic.md) | +0.5% | +1.2% |
| CORN | 2020-05-12 | [St. Louis regional ports claim No. 2 spot for total tonnage – Illinois Business Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/53017-st-louis-regional-ports-claim-no-2-spot-for-total-tonnage-illinois-business.md) | +0.6% | +4.2% |
| CORN | 2020-06-15 | [Five Lock and Dam Closures on Illinois River Looming](https://feedsoft.ai/events/52501-five-lock-and-dam-closures-on-illinois-river-looming.md) | +0.4% | +0.1% |

## Sources

- ibjonline.com: https://www.ibjonline.com/2023/02/08/barge-traffic-back-to-normal-lock-closures-loom/

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