US Gulf Grain Shipping: Mississippi, Ships and Routes
The US Gulf is one of the largest grain export regions in the world. Corn, soybeans and wheat flow down the Mississippi system to terminals near New Orleans and go to Asia, Latin America and other markets.
Loading area
Most Gulf grain is loaded at the terminals along the lower Mississippi River in Louisiana, between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, with other terminals on the Texas coast and further east. The river system brings the grain from the farm states by barge, and the terminals load it into ocean ships.
Draft and water level
The depth of the river channel limits how deeply a ship can be loaded. When the water level falls, usually in late summer and autumn in dry years, the allowed draft can be reduced and ships load less or finish at an anchorage. A charterer should ask for a quantity with a tolerance and for the option to top up elsewhere.
Ships used
Panamax ships are common for the long routes, and Supramax and Handysize ships are used for smaller cargoes to the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico. The ships should have clean and dry holds that pass the inspection of the grain authorities before loading.
Routes and buyers
Cargoes go to Mexico and the Caribbean on short voyages, to the Mediterranean and North Africa across the Atlantic, and to Asia, for example Japan, Korea and China, either through the Panama Canal or round the south of Africa or South America. The choice of route depends on the size of the ship, the canal rules and the time that the buyer can wait.
Season
Wheat is shipped from early summer, corn and soybeans follow the autumn harvest and are shipped through the winter and into the next year. Demand for ships rises when the new crop is ready, so booking early in the season often gives more choice.
What to write in your request
The grain and the quantity with a tolerance, the loading terminal or the river area, the draft you expect to load to, the discharging port, the laycan, and the loading and discharging rates. Add the delivery term of your sale; see FOB, CFR and CIF for the way the term splits the costs. See also chartering ships for grain.
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