A proposed port in the St. Louis area could streamline the region’s ability to export agricultural goods — an improvement the head of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry said was a vital opportunity for the Midwest.
Marine transportation managers plan to locate the port on the Mississippi River in Jefferson County. With the expanded Panama Canal bringing ships to the Gulf of Mexico, Chamber President Dan Mehan said a new port would provide a more effective distribution center for cargo transporters and Midwest agriculture exporters.
“It would be nothing less than a game-changer. If you consider Missouri’s location in the dead-center of the country and the continent, we should be the logistics and distribution center for the Midwest,” Mehan told The Missouri Times. “Ships on the Gulf Coast unload all these containers, and if you could move them up the Mississippi River into the St. Louis region, you’re within 12 hours of 44 percent of the market. It speaks volumes to what we could do as a state and a region to have that located right there in St. Louis.”
Missouri ranks No. 10 among other states in terms of navigable water with more than 1,050 miles, according to a report compiled by the chamber. The system brings more than $100 billion in revenue into the state annually.
With funds pouring into the state to expand economic opportunities, Mehan said now was the time to invest in projects that would yield long-term results.
“It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity, so the smart move is to make one-time investments where you don’t have to commit to annual spending down the road and invest in and build facilities like this that can last into the future,” Mehan said. “We have an opportunity to be bold and strong right now, and we should. We should take this opportunity and run with it — if we don’t, somebody else will.”
Mehan said investing in ports could also remedy immediate concerns surrounding the nation’s supply chain.
The Missouri Farm Bureau (MOFB) reported impacts on farm equipment, crop protection products, and school lunches, while microchip shortages cause delays from vehicle production to new gaming consoles. Gov. Mike Parson established a task force to evaluate solutions to the issue last month.
Mehan joined state leaders at MOFB’s Annual Meeting this week, where supply chain issues were a focal point of the conversation. He said creating new infrastructure for commerce in Missouri could help address the crisis while sending Missouri products across the globe.
“It would greatly help the supply chain in a variety of areas. Picture containers coming up the Mississippi River offloading products from around the world and loading those empty containers with agricultural products and more from the Midwest and shipping them worldwide,” Mehan said. “It might be sort of a simplistic vision, but it has credibility and potential.”
Mehan said investments in Missouri’s overall infrastructure — from broadband to roads and bridges — were vital to economic development. Those funds are on their way from the massive infrastructure package recently signed into law by President Joe Biden.
The president traveled to Kansas City to tout the investment — which also earmarked $17 billion for the nation’s port infrastructure — this week.
According to White House estimates, Missouri is slated to get about $6.5 billion for federal highway programs and $484 million for bridge repairs over five years. There is also nearly $19 billion in other bridge and roadway grants available the state can vie for.
Additionally, the state is expected to see $99 million over five years for the expansion of an electric vehicle (EV) charging network and $100 million for broadband infrastructure. Missouri should also receive about $866 million for improvements to the state’s water infrastructure and $246 million for airport improvements, according to the White House.
Cameron Gerber studied journalism at Lincoln University. Prior to Lincoln, he earned an associate’s degree from State Fair Community College. Cameron is a native of Eldon, Missouri.
Contact Cameron at cameron@themissouritimes.com.
