Freeing of Tons of Cargo Leads To Easing of Huge Barge Backup on Mississippi

Bloomberg News reports that a backup of 2000 plus boats, as well as barges on the Mississippi River, is in the process of clearance as two closures were found to reopen on Sunday along the waterway.

Due to low water levels, the commercial shipments had reached a standstill, including the latest harvested soybeans and corn. The latest glitch in the supply chain was seen during the autumn harvest and amidst the local drought that lingered for a long time.

By Sunday, the river reopened at two choke points near Stack Island, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee, as revealed by the US Coast Guard.

Currently, no line of vessels is seen close to Memphis, although there are many limitations related to one-way traffic. In Mississippi, the vessel and barge lines north and south are down to less than 900, as stated by the US Coast Guard.

Regarding backup, the number found was more than 2000 on Friday at several points. The US Army Corps of Engineers was found dredging close to Stack Island, so the water levels get deeper.

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Millions of Tons of Cargo Stalled Due to the Mississippi Barge Backup

Bloomberg News reports that since the water levels are low along the critical shipping lines of Mississippi, the companies have been struggling to find alternative means to move everything from metals to fertilizers and agricultural products. This measure, in turn, has increased the costs and led to the US cargoes getting expensive when food inflation is already at an all-time high, the highest in almost four decades.

The Mississippi, which is gradually drying up, is facing logistic issues across the globe this summer, including the same on the Rhine River. Scientists believe that climate change is the main cause of drought worsening in the Northern Hemisphere.

Bloomberg News reports that in 2012, the Great Plains drought caused a $35 billion loss to the US, including the closure of the river thrice in a year at least. In 2020, the total domestic commerce value that transited to the river mouth from Minneapolis was about $70 billion, per the US Army Corps of Engineers.