# Icy Rivers in Midwest Impeding Grain Bound for Export

> Frigid weather and heavy ice buildup on the Mississippi, Ohio and Illinois rivers cut grain barge shipments about 60% year on year in the first two weeks of 2018. Farmers fear that delayed U.S. shipments will lead buyers such as China to source from Argentina and Brazil, while high stockpiles already limit storage.

- Date: 2018-01-22 · published 2018-01-22T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/66912-icy-rivers-in-midwest-impeding-grain-bound-for-export
- Commodities: [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md), [Barge Freight (St. Louis)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARGE.md)

## Why it matters

Lost export timing risks share in key buyer markets and adds pressure to cash prices already weighed down by large stocks. Higher freight costs for the remaining barge flow also add to the drag on farm-gate values.

## Read by commodity

- SOY: bearish ▼
- BARGE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 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% |
| SOY | 2024-09-04 | [Low water levels on the Mississippi River impact barges and grain exports before harvest](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16513-low-water-levels-on-the-mississippi-river-impact-barges-and-grain-exports.md) | -2.0% | +6.0% |
| SOY | 2019-03-01 | [Busiest U.S. Grains Port Swamped by Flooding as Exporters Await China Deal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/59984-busiest-u-s-grains-port-swamped-by-flooding-as-exporters-await-china-deal.md) | -0.8% | -0.9% |
| SOY | 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) | -3.7% | -2.0% |
| 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% |

## Sources

- tspr.org: https://www.tspr.org/harvest-public-media/2018-01-22/icy-rivers-in-midwest-impeding-grain-bound-for-export

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