The following is the text of a news release from the Lake Carriers' Association:
(CLEVELAND) — U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters (lakers) moved 9.7 million tons of cargo on the Great Lakes in July, a decrease of 1.5 percent compared to a year ago. July’s shipments also trailed the month’s long-term average by 8.4 percent.
Iron ore cargoes for steelmaking totaled 5 million tons, an increase of 8.7 percent compared to a year ago.
Coal loadings slipped 16.7 percent to 1.4 million tons.
Limestone cargoes hauled in U.S. bottoms totaled 2.8 million tons, a decrease of 2.6 percent compared to a year ago.
Year over year, U.S.-flag cargoes total 40.3 million tons, a slight decrease (95,000 tons) from the same point in 2016. Iron ore shipments have increased 6.3 percent to 22.9 million tons. Coal cargoes have dipped 2.4 percent to 6 million tons. The 9.3 million tons of aggregate, fluxstone and scrubber stone shipped represent a decrease of 10.2 percent.
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 salt, sand and grain. Collectively, these vessels can transport more than 100 million tons of cargo per year. More information is available at www.lcaships.com.
