The following is the text of a news release from the Lake Carriers' Association:
(CLEVELAND) — Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway totaled 6.4 million tons in July, an increase of 14.7 percent compared to a year ago. However, shipments trailed the month’s five-year average by 2.3 percent.
Shipments from U.S. Great Lakes ports totaled 6 million tons in July, an increase of 21.7 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings at Canadian terminals in the Seaway totaled 391,000 tons, a drop of nearly 40 percent.
Year to date, the iron ore trade stands at 30.1 million tons, an increase of 12.4 percent compared to the same point in 2016. Year over year, loadings at U.S. ports total 27.5 million tons, an increase of 14.3 percent. Shipments from Canadian ports in the St. Lawrence Seaway total 2.65 million tons, a decrease of 4 percent.
The Lake Carriers’ Association represents 13 American companies that operate 49 U.S.-flag vessels on the Great Lakes and carry the raw materials that drive the nation’s economy: iron ore and fluxstone for the steel industry, aggregate and cement for the construction industry, coal for power generation, as well as sand, grain and other dry-bulk cargos. Collectively, these vessels can transport more than 100 million tons of cargo per year. More information is available at www.lcaships.com.
