# Busiest U.S. Grains Port Swamped by Flooding as Exporters Await China Deal

> Flooding and ice on Midwest rivers have stalled barges supplying Gulf export terminals, with one Ohio River lock closed until about March 9. Cash premiums for barge-delivered grain at New Orleans have reached their highest level in months, making new export sales difficult. The disruption comes as the US and China work on a trade deal that could restart Chinese purchases.

- Date: 2019-03-01 · published 2019-03-01T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US Gulf · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/59984-busiest-u-s-grains-port-swamped-by-flooding-as-exporters-await-china-deal
- Commodities: [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md), [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md), [Barge Freight (St. Louis)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARGE.md)

## Why it matters

Port congestion and high Gulf premiums slow US export sales just as cheaper South American supplies arrive, which weighs on US export demand and futures.

## Read by commodity

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

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2021-08-31 | [U.S. grains: Corn, soy, wheat sag as Ida damage spurs export concerns - Grainews](https://feedsoft.ai/events/45591-u-s-grains-corn-soy-wheat-sag-as-ida-damage-spurs-export-concerns-grainews.md) | -4.6% | -8.1% |
| CORN | 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) | -0.3% | -0.1% |
| 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 | 2022-06-30 | [Argentina trucker strike ends, boosting grains exports](https://feedsoft.ai/events/14029-argentina-trucker-strike-ends-boosting-grains-exports.md) | +1.0% | -16.7% |
| CORN | 2021-09-13 | [U.S. grain exports sink as Gulf terminals struggle to recover from Ida \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/44956-u-s-grain-exports-sink-as-gulf-terminals-struggle-to-recover-from-ida-reuters.md) | +0.1% | -3.1% |
| SOY | 2018-01-22 | [Icy Rivers in Midwest Impeding Grain Bound for Export](https://feedsoft.ai/events/66912-icy-rivers-in-midwest-impeding-grain-bound-for-export.md) | +0.8% | +4.5% |
| SOY | 2021-08-31 | [U.S. grains: Corn, soy, wheat sag as Ida damage spurs export concerns - Grainews](https://feedsoft.ai/events/45591-u-s-grains-corn-soy-wheat-sag-as-ida-damage-spurs-export-concerns-grainews.md) | -2.8% | -2.1% |
| SOY | 2026-09-10 | [Soybean Shipping Costs Rise for US Exporters \| Feed & Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/17636-soybean-shipping-costs-rise-for-us-exporters-feed-and-grain.md) | +0.3% | -2.9% |

## Sources

- gcaptain.com: https://gcaptain.com/busiest-us-grains-port-swamped-by-flooding/

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