
The first ship sailed from United Bulk Terminals on the Mississippi with a 47.7-foot draft after pilots raised the river draft limit to 48 feet. The Cargill-operated vessel loaded more than 112,000 metric tons of Alliance coal bound for the Far East.
The terminal said it can load up to 50 feet and expects capesize ships to carry about 10% more cargo in 2022.
Deeper loading allows more tonnage per voyage, which lowers freight cost per ton for bulk exports and supports U.S. export competitiveness. The effect on grain prices is indirect because the cargo is coal.
Not enough comparable past events yet for a historical read.
Moves of each commodity's benchmark from the last close before the event. Historical reads pool past events of the same kind; they describe what happened, not what will. Not investment advice.