# U.S. barge backup worsens as Mississippi River shut near Memphis

> A closure of the Hernando de Soto (I-40) bridge near Memphis halted barge traffic on the Lower Mississippi and worsened a grain barge backup. Almost all grain barges moving to Gulf export facilities near New Orleans must pass beneath the bridge.

- Date: 2021-05-13 · published 2021-05-13T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/46997-u-s-barge-backup-worsens-as-mississippi-river-shut-near-memphis
- Commodities: [Barge Freight (St. Louis)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARGE.md), [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md)

## Why it matters

Delayed barges hold up US grain exports and push up freight costs, while interior cash prices can weaken as stocks back up. Gulf-delivered prices may firm if shipments are delayed.

## Read by commodity

- CORN: neutral
- BARGE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2019-06-27 | [Mixed emotions as Upper Mississippi River reopens to barges](https://feedsoft.ai/events/58498-mixed-emotions-as-upper-mississippi-river-reopens-to-barges.md) | -2.5% | -4.4% |
| CORN | 2016-11-21 | [Mississippi River Reopened after Barge Breakaway](https://feedsoft.ai/events/73762-mississippi-river-reopened-after-barge-breakaway.md) | -0.1% | +1.3% |
| CORN | 2023-03-30 | [Mississippi Barge Rate Update](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16640-mississippi-barge-rate-update.md) | -0.5% | -3.0% |
| CORN | 2019-06-21 | [Armada of barges cleared for Mississippi River shipments after floods](https://feedsoft.ai/events/58495-armada-of-barges-cleared-for-mississippi-river-shipments-after-floods.md) | +0.2% | -2.4% |
| CORN | 2019-09-17 | [A rising Mississippi River is raising industrial sector worries](https://feedsoft.ai/events/57250-a-rising-mississippi-river-is-raising-industrial-sector-worries.md) | +1.7% | +4.7% |

## Sources

- reuters.com: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-barge-backup-worsens-misssissippi-river-shut-near-memphis-2021-05-13/

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