News

Great Lakes grain shipments up

Grain shipments on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway System were up more than 23% in November. 

Craig Middlebrook with the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation says that figure includes both U.S. and Canadian grain.

U.S Grains Council Manager of Global Trade Reece Cannady tells Brownfield shipments on the Great Lakes are in part because of a strong soybean program sending shipments to Egypt.  “You can see some stuff going to the Middle East as well, Saudi Arabia coming back and buying swaths of corn was a good thing. I think they’re done buying corn for the next little while, and then we’re geared up with some sales to Algeria, Tunisia, then some other spots on the corn side. For now, though, I think the bean deck has kind of has been carrying it.”

Cannady says most people first think about the Port of New Orleans and the Pacific Northwest when exporting corn and soybeans, but the Great Lakes and eastern ports are stable and reliable ways to move exports.

And, he says ports that normally handle different commodities are seeing more corn and soybeans.

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Cannady says November exports using the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway system were up, even though the upper Mississippi River locks and dams remained open until the end of November.

The St. Lawrence Seaway usually closes for the winter between Christmas and New Year’s Day depending on the weather, but Cannady expects good export numbers from Great Lakes ports again in 2021.  He is also expecting strong December container shipments if the containers remain available.