Corn Belt, Louisiana ports sign pact to improve Mississippi River trade routes

In a landmark move to enhance the efficiency and competitiveness of the Mississippi River’s agricultural and industrial trade routes, upper and lower Mississippi River ports last week signed their first cooperative endeavor agreement (CEA) at the National Waterways Conference annual meeting.

The CEA marks a significant step in the unified effort to advance the economic and operational capabilities of ports up and down the Mississippi River, according to a press release issued by Corn Belt Ports. Convened by Corn Belt Ports, the signatories include Plaquemines Port, Harbor and Terminal District, Port of Greater Baton Rouge, Port of New Orleans, Port of South Louisiana, and St. Bernard Port and Harbor and Terminal District. Corn Belt Ports is the four federally recognized rural, regional, multimodal and inland ports within the Corn Belt’s Lock and Dam System on the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway.

Key goals of the CEA include: 
• expanding global markets for U.S. agricultural products;

• supporting federal port and waterways infrastructure investment, navigation channel maintenance and dredging funding priorities;

• supporting U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reforms; and

• backing federal Maritime Administration highway programs. 

Through investment and organizing, Corn Belt Ports support the integrity and sustainability of the supply chain. The ports handle nearly 100 million tons of freight annually, Corn Belt Ports officials said. Since its inception in 2019, Corn Belt Ports have helped attract over $2 billion of investment in multimodal and natural infrastructure from multiple sources.