Page 8: of Marine News Magazine (May 2021)

7 9

By the

Numbers

Grain Barge Rates

The U.S. inland waterway system utilizes a percent of tariff States Department of Transportation. However, the barge in- system to establish barge freight rates. The tariffs were origi- dustry continues to use the tariffs as benchmarks as rate units.

nally from the Bulk Grain and Grain Products Freight Tariff To calculate the rate in dollars per ton, multiply the per-

No. 7, which were issued by the Waterways Freight Bureau cent of tariff rate by the 1976 benchmark. As an example, a (WFB) of the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC). In 200% tariff for Minneapolis-St. Paul barge grain would equal 1976, the United States Department of Justice entered into 2.00 times the benchmark rate of $6.19, or $12.38 per ton.

an agreement with the ICC and made Tariff No. 7 no longer Each city on the river has its own benchmark (see table applicable. Today, the WFB no longer exists and the ICC below), with the northern most cities having the highest has become the Surface Transportation Board of the United benchmarks.

Benchmark Rate Ports Included

TWC TWIN CITIES 619 Minneapolis, St. Paul, Red Wing, Shakopee, Winona, MN

MM MID-MISS 532 Albany, Keithsburg, New Boston, Rock Island, IL; Clinton, Davenport, Muscatine, IA

ST. LOUIS 399 Alton, Chester. E. St. Louis, Faults, IL; Cape Girardeau, St Louis, MO

ILLINOIS 464 Beardstown, Florence, Hardin, Havana, Meredosia, IL

CINC 469 Cincinnati

LOWER OHIO 446 Louisville, KY

CAIRO-MEM 314 Birds Point, Linda, New Madrid, MO; Hickman, KY; Cairo, IL

Weekly Barge Rates for Major Grain Shipping Points on the Mississippi, Ohio, and Arkansas Rivers:

Southbound only

MN May 2021 | 8