# Illinois River closure to force supply shift for Gulf Coast grain, ethanol buyers

> Upcoming Illinois River lock closures will disrupt deliveries of corn, soybeans, animal feed and ethanol to Gulf Coast export and consumption points. Platts analysts said the closure was timed for the growing season, and Gulf blenders are shifting ethanol to rail at a premium.

- Date: 2020-06-24 · published 2020-06-24T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/52503-illinois-river-closure-to-force-supply-shift-for-gulf-coast-grain-ethanol-buyers
- Commodities: [DDGS](https://feedsoft.ai/c/DDGS.md), [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md), [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md), [Barge Freight (St. Louis)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARGE.md)

## Why it matters

Reduced river supply to the Gulf may pressure Eastern Corn Belt cash prices while raising Gulf delivered costs, and the shift to rail and trucking adds freight costs for feed and ethanol buyers.

## Read by commodity

- SOY: bearish ▼
- CORN: bearish ▼
- DDGS: neutral
- BARGE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| SOY | 2020-10-02 | [Barge Freight Starting to Ease on Mississippi, Illinois Rivers \| Feed & Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/50543-barge-freight-starting-to-ease-on-mississippi-illinois-rivers-feed-and-grain.md) | +2.6% | +2.8% |
| SOY | 2022-01-10 | [Misery for Shippers on Mississippi, Illinois, Ohio Rivers](https://feedsoft.ai/events/43328-misery-for-shippers-on-mississippi-illinois-ohio-rivers.md) | -3.2% | +12.9% |
| SOY | 2026-01-29 | [Low Water on U.S. Rivers Disrupts Grain Exports, Raising Costs for Ag Supply Chains - Agrolatam](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16395-low-water-on-u-s-rivers-disrupts-grain-exports-raising-costs-for-ag-supply.md) | +1.6% | +6.8% |
| SOY | 2022-10-10 | [Mississippi River reopens to barge traffic after low water closures - U.S. Coast Guard \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16671-mississippi-river-reopens-to-barge-traffic-after-low-water-closures-u-s-coast.md) | +1.2% | +6.2% |
| SOY | 2022-11-03 | [ANALYSIS - Ethanol producers drink to record low Mississippi River levels - Grain Price News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/38671-analysis-ethanol-producers-drink-to-record-low-mississippi-river-levels-grain.md) | +1.4% | -0.7% |
| CORN | 2022-05-12 | [Grain silo explosion, fire shutters Illinois ethanol plant \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/41397-grain-silo-explosion-fire-shutters-illinois-ethanol-plant-reuters.md) | -0.3% | -0.9% |
| CORN | 2020-10-02 | [Barge Freight Starting to Ease on Mississippi, Illinois Rivers \| Feed & Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/50543-barge-freight-starting-to-ease-on-mississippi-illinois-rivers-feed-and-grain.md) | -1.1% | +5.3% |
| CORN | 2022-01-10 | [Misery for Shippers on Mississippi, Illinois, Ohio Rivers](https://feedsoft.ai/events/43328-misery-for-shippers-on-mississippi-illinois-ohio-rivers.md) | +1.3% | +3.3% |

## Sources

- waterwayscouncil.org: https://waterwayscouncil.org/media/in-the-news/article/2020/06/illinois-river-closure-to-force-supply-shift-for-gulf-coast-grain-ethanol-buyers
- spglobal.com: https://www.spglobal.com/energy/en/news-research/latest-news/crude-oil/062420-illinois-river-closure-to-force-supply-shift-for-gulf-coast-grain-ethanol-buyers

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