Progressive barge carriers in Argentina are already achieving considerable efficiencies within the nation s current network of navigable waterways. Foreign investment has dramatically expanded barge and towing capacity while also improving the navigability of large tows. Satellite tracking and guidance systems are helping South American barges to operate with efficiencies on a par with those of the United States. U.S. shippers and barge operators, on the other hand, are concerned with an aging waterway infrastructure. After several decades of extensive use and reliance on the river system for efficient bulk materials movement, the rivers are in need of renewed attention.
Special concern is directed toward the aging lock system of the Mississippi River.
The Mississippi serves as the backbone of efficient grain movement in the United States. The proximity of growing areas for corn and soybeans to the Mississippi and its tributaries make the system imperative for low cost exporting. The ability to quickly and efficiently access port facilities located at the mouth of the Mississippi River in Louisiana has proven critical to the export success of these U.S. crops. If the United States wants to maintain the comparative advantage that it has long enjoyed with inland navigation, it will need to make a significant investment in its aging lock and dam system. This holds particularly true given the aggressive advances South American shippers are making to their own river system.