Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.5 million net tons in September, a decrease of 6.7 percent from August, but an increase of 2.4 percent compared to a year ago. September loadings were 4 percent off the month’s 5-year average.
Shipments from U.S. quarries increased 10 percent compared to a year ago and were only marginally below the month’s 5-year average. However, loadings at Canadian quarries were off more than 22 percent compared to a year ago and 8.5 percent below September’s 5-year average. Through September the limestone trade stands at 19.7 million tons, a decrease of 3.9 percent compared to the same point in 2010, and a drop of 13 percent compared to the 5-year average for the for the first three quarters.