# Economic impact of inland waterway disruptions: Potentially billions

> University of Tennessee researchers estimate billions of dollars in economic losses if the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway were disrupted for a lengthy period. The corridor's 36 aging locks and dams add fuel and labor costs for barge operators.

- Date: 2016-11-02 · published 2016-11-02T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/73761-economic-impact-of-inland-waterway-disruptions-potentially-billions
- 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

The risk of prolonged waterway disruption raises the prospect of higher transport costs and basis volatility for US corn and soybeans, a hypothetical but relevant supply-chain risk.

## Read by commodity

- SOY: bullish ▲
- CORN: bullish ▲
- BARGE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2020-02-13 | [A Deeper Mississippi River Will Improve the Economics of Soybean Exports](https://feedsoft.ai/events/54493-a-deeper-mississippi-river-will-improve-the-economics-of-soybean-exports.md) | +1.0% | +1.3% |
| CORN | 2026-10-16 | [Black Sea Disruptions: Why Large Crops Aren't Reaching Grain and Oilseed Buyers](https://feedsoft.ai/events/14080-black-sea-disruptions-why-large-crops-aren-t-reaching-grain-and-oilseed-buyers.md) | -1.2% | — |
| CORN | 2024-04-17 | [Transportation Roundup: Intermodal transport industry eyeing potential strike, SSGA watching changing sailing dates - U.S. Identity Preserved Alliance](https://feedsoft.ai/events/30760-transportation-roundup-intermodal-transport-industry-eyeing-potential-strike.md) | +0.2% | +2.7% |
| CORN | 2018-11-16 | [Tariffs Bite At End Of Better Year For Barging - The Waterways Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/61940-tariffs-bite-at-end-of-better-year-for-barging-the-waterways-journal.md) | -1.2% | +7.2% |
| CORN | 2025-02-11 | [Mississippi Levels Disrupt Exports, Shipments - Decision Innovation Solutions](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16470-mississippi-levels-disrupt-exports-shipments-decision-innovation-solutions.md) | +1.4% | -5.7% |
| SOY | 2020-02-13 | [A Deeper Mississippi River Will Improve the Economics of Soybean Exports](https://feedsoft.ai/events/54493-a-deeper-mississippi-river-will-improve-the-economics-of-soybean-exports.md) | +0.0% | -4.2% |
| SOY | 2025-02-11 | [Mississippi Levels Disrupt Exports, Shipments - Decision Innovation Solutions](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16470-mississippi-levels-disrupt-exports-shipments-decision-innovation-solutions.md) | -1.0% | -4.9% |
| SOY | 2019-05-31 | [Flooding continues to disrupt barge traffic in U.S. - FreightWaves](https://feedsoft.ai/events/58981-flooding-continues-to-disrupt-barge-traffic-in-u-s-freightwaves.md) | -2.3% | -0.1% |

## Sources

- phys.org: https://phys.org/news/2016-11-economic-impact-inland-waterway-disruptions.html

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