Falling water level of Mississippi River leads to higher freight

The Mississippi River is an important waterway for transporting American crops from the Midwest to the rest of the world. Because of the falling water level, the freight rate of barges passing through the river has increased, which means that the export cost of American agricultural products has also soared.

Spot rates for St. Louis barges are up 49% from the previous week and 42% from a year earlier to $23.34 a tonne as of Aug. 29. Barge rates are now 85% higher than the average for the past three years, according to USDA data on Wednesday. 

密西西比河水位下降导致运费升高

       美国密西西比河是美国农作物从中西部运输到世界其他地方的重要航道，而由于水位下降，途径此河的驳船运费开始升高，这意味着美国农产品的出口成本也在飙升。

       截至8月29日，美国圣路易斯驳船期运价已经比上周上涨了49%，同比上涨了42%，达到每吨23.34美元。而根据美国农业部周三的数据，当前的驳船运费比过去3年的平均水平提高了85%。