# Export grain shippers mull options amid limited barge, rail capacity - FreightWaves

> Low water on the Mississippi River and its tributaries has cut barge capacity for grain and soybean exports. Barge rates reached their highest levels in years, though they eased in the week of November 8 after October spikes. Shippers are weighing storage, trucking to local markets and rail as alternatives.

- Date: 2022-11-18 · published 2022-11-18T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/38723-export-grain-shippers-mull-options-amid-limited-barge-rail-capacity-freightwaves
- Commodities: [Barge Freight (St. Louis)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARGE.md), [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md)

## Why it matters

Expensive and scarce barge space widens Gulf basis discounts and pushes exporters toward costlier rail or storage. This raises freight costs and can weigh on farm-gate prices in the interior.

## Read by commodity

- CORN: bearish ▼
- BARGE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2017-10-06 | [Report: Barge rates skyrocket amid Ohio, Mississippi river closures - FreightWaves](https://feedsoft.ai/events/6120-report-barge-rates-skyrocket-amid-ohio-mississippi-river-closures-freightwaves.md) | -0.4% | -0.8% |
| CORN | 2022-10-26 | [Water woes tighten capacity for ag shippers \| World Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16673-water-woes-tighten-capacity-for-ag-shippers-world-grain.md) | -1.2% | -3.3% |
| CORN | 2022-09-30 | [Low River Levels, Soaring Barge Freight Curb U.S. Grain Exports](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16682-low-river-levels-soaring-barge-freight-curb-u-s-grain-exports.md) | +1.0% | +3.8% |
| CORN | 2026-10-18 | [Global Grain Freight Costs Surge as Shipping Disruptions Threaten U.S. Export Competitiveness](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16761-global-grain-freight-costs-surge-as-shipping-disruptions-threaten-u-s-export.md) | -1.7% | — |
| CORN | 2024-04-08 | [Barge Captain Shares Views on Water Levels & Freight - Mid-West Farm Report](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16551-barge-captain-shares-views-on-water-levels-and-freight-mid-west-farm-report.md) | -1.2% | -1.0% |

## Sources

- freightwaves.com: https://www.freightwaves.com/news/export-grain-shippers-mull-options-amid-limited-barge-rail-capacity

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