(The Center Square) – When most think of ports, they think of coastal cities, but Illinois has a thriving port system that continues to gain notoriety.
Since 2022, Corn Belt Ports have attracted over $2 billion in multi-modal and natural infrastructure investment from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and other funding sources. Officials said the recognition of the Corn Belt Ports has enabled downstate Illinois to be more competitive for direct and indirect investment.
“We’ve never made anything like this before but two of our ports made the Global Trade magazine’s top 50 power ports list, so we’re really happy about that,” Corn Belt Ports Executive Coordinating Director Robert Sinkler said during a University of Illinois Extension webinar.
With more than 100 million tons of freight shipped through the region each year, Sinkler is optimistic that global markets can be tapped into.
The Corn Belt Ports are distinct regional units of government that are county-based, rural multi-modal transportation features with boundaries compatible with existing regional planning agencies. Some of the cities recognized as ports include Peoria, Quincy, Ottawa and Rock Island.
Earlier this year, 10 states, including Illinois, signed a cooperative endeavor agreement that some believe will lead to further economic growth. The agreement unifies both the inland ports of the Mississippi River as well as its coastal ports in the South.
The Corn Belt Ports system also expanded in September with the announcement of a collaboration with Iowa. Iowa farmers along the Mississippi River will have better long-term access to export markets with the formation of the Ports of Eastern Iowa Authority.
Recently, mayors from 10 states along the Mississippi River convened in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to announce a cooperative agreement between the working river’s ports. During the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative meeting, the mayors also called upon the next U.S. president to prioritize several policy changes to support the 105 cities included in the initiative.
