Mississippi transports $4.6 billion worth of freight over 412 miles of inland waterways each year. That amounts to over 21 million tons of cargo and commodities essentials to the state and regional economy. Additionally, Mississippi docks ship commodities to and receive goods from 20 other states and many foreign countries, making the state’s waterways one of the region’s most significant economic drivers.
| Mississippi 2005 Tonnage by Commodity Groups Shipped From, To and Within the State
(values in millions of dollars) |
|||||
| Commodity | Shipped | Received | Within | Total | Value |
| Coal | ** | 949,215 | ** | 949,215 | $36 |
| Petroleum | 7,360,264 | 3,731,925 | 352,690 | 11,444,879 | $1,600 |
| Aggregates | 95,529 | 2,035,700 | ** | 2,131,229 | $144 |
| Grain | 1,977,304 | 132,345 | ** | 2,109,649 | $467 |
| Chemicals | 1,310,988 | 1,081,182 | 30,477 | 2,422,647 | $1,395 |
| Ores/Minerals | 40,380 | 225,512 | 14,302 | 265,892 | $40 |
| Iron/Steel | 256,311 | 235,576 | ** | 491,887 | $505 |
| Other | 1,208,516 | 544,718 | 186,963 | 1,940,197 | $418 |
| TOTAL | 12,249,292 | 8,936,173 | 570,130 | 21,755,595 | $4,605 |
** Insufficient barge operators to release this tonnage – included in “Other Commodities”
Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Waterborne Commerce Statistics
| 2005 Mississippi Waterborne Commerce Shipped to and from Other States and Countries
(tonnage in thousands of tons; values in millions of dollars) |
|||||||
| Shipments To | Tons | Value | Top Commodity | Shipments From | Tons | Value | Top Commodity |
| Florida | 4,985 | $726 | Petroleum | Louisiana | 3,935 | $710 | Petroleum |
| Louisiana | 3,546 | $687 | Grain | Alabama | 1,368 | $275 | Coal |
| Texas | 1,070 | $403 | Petroleum | Kentucky | 1,184 | $125 | Aggregates |
| Alabama | 877 | $205 | Petroleum | Texas | 755 | $129 | Petroleum |
| Kentucky | 700 | $127 | Petroleum | Missouri | 721 | $46 | Others |
Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Waterborne Commerce Statistics
