This article has been reprinted from USDA's Nov. 28 Grain Transportation Report.
Barge shipments have set a new yearly high with 957,863 tons moving through the locks in week 47, the week ending on November 23.
Together, week 46 (which had the third-largest volume of 2019) and week 47 had the most barge traffic in the locking system of any 2- week period in the year so far.
However, despite this rally, the rolling 4-week average remains below that of the previous year and the 3- year average, as harvest, navigation, and export market conditions have affected the demand for shipping.