# CoBank study finds rising costs slow hopper barge replacement

> A November 10 CoBank report projects the U.S. inland hopper barge fleet could shrink more than 17% by 2035 as rising construction costs discourage replacing aging vessels. The fleet has 19,668 barges, down 7.6% over the past decade, and average age has risen to 17.6 years.

- Date: 2026-11-13 · published 2026-11-13T18:10:34.236Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/98122-cobank-study-finds-rising-costs-slow-hopper-barge-replacement
- Commodities: [Barge Freight (St. Louis)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARGE.md)

## Why it matters

A shrinking barge fleet could tighten capacity for grain shipments on the Mississippi system, raising freight costs and pressuring basis and export competitiveness for corn and soybean products.

## Read by commodity

- BARGE: bullish ▲

## Sources

- workboat.com: https://www.workboat.com/cobank-study-finds-rising-costs-slow-hopper-barge-replacement

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