AWO coronavirus guide for barge ops

U.S. inland barge operators are joining with others across the country in assessing how the coronavirus may affect businesses and employees. A global economic slowdown is emerging, especially in key barge markets like China, which is forcing the navigation industry to prepare for a softening demand for services. The timing is bad, as barge lines are just starting to recover from a year of high water and trade disputes that presented non-stop operational/financial challenges. There is a growing concern that an economic slowdown might mean China won’t be able to fulfill its promise to buy more U.S. agricultural products, like soybeans, under Phase One of the U.S.-China trade deal. Grain markets and soybeans are at their lowest levels as traders await news from China. While the low volumes of soybean exports continue due to the impact of the coronavirus and the persistence of African Swine Fever on China’s hogs, major consumers of soybeans. This has important implications for the barge industry, which has seen its soybean business plummet over the past year, and was hoping for new business under the trade truce with China. Deb Calhoun, acting president and CEO of the American Waterways Council (AWO) said this was a top concern at the National Grain and Feed Association Convention she attended on March 10. Also, AWO has posted a planning guide on its website to help barge companies develop and implement a COVID-19 contingency plan that it says will protect the workforce “while ensuring continuity of operations.” (Source: Work Boat 03/12/20) https://www.workboat.com/news/coastal-inland-waterways/coronavirus-affecting-trade-along-the-inland-waterways-system/?utm_source=marketo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_content=newsletter&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTm1OalpURTROVGRtTldGaiIsInQiOiJtUUxVYUo5V1JsNEN4Uk9CYU9ha1wvc3VWOWRUM1YrOWl0NGg4Y0lrRlJ4NVBYcDNCazdDcTJoXC9DQ0VjYjM0NHpHQjE1Zm5aUXdCVXR3MXVWXC9Ia3hZb1M2a0c2MzNxeDVGZVNhalhhOG95SGV1UW9NaUwwbWs2cVNZV3IzaG9NYyJ9