Craig H Middlebrook News

U.S. Great Lakes ports reported mixed results in June with aluminum, road salt and grain shipments holding strong despite the coronavirus pandemic, while shipments of commodities related to steel production and manufacturing have continued to slide.Additionally, the St. Lawrence Seaway reported that from April 1 to June 30, nearly 11.7 million metric tons of cargo was shipped via the bi-national trade corridor. While these volumes were down 8% compared to the same time period in 2019, cargo shipments improved in June narrowing the year-over-year decline.Craig H.

While St. Lawrence Seaway cargo volumes decreased during the past two months due to economic shifts related to COVID-19, industry leaders said the binational trade and transportation corridor is ready to play its part in the economic recovery efforts in the coming months. Meanwhile, with an increased focus on commodity diversification through project cargo, international shipments of wind energy components in the Great Lakes region are taking off.Overall St. Lawrence Seaway tonnage from March 15 through May 31 totaled 7.7 million metric tons, down 10% compared to the same time period in 2019.

The first ocean-going vessel of 2020 arrived Monday at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor, thereby commencing this year's international shipping season at the Great Lakes port.Port officials welcomed the M/V Muntgracht, a 466-foot general cargo carrier, after her five-day voyage through the St. Lawrence Seaway to the deepwater port on Lake Michigan. Due to the current global pandemic precautions, the ceremonial Steel Stein, a long-running tradition at the port, was canceled this…

The St. Lawrence Seaway’s 62nd navigation season kicked off on Tuesday with the transit of the Canadian-flagged cement carrier NACC Argonaut through Lock 8 on the Welland Canal.Then, in the early hours on Wednesday morning, first U.S.-flag commercial vessel transited the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., signaling the start of the U.S. fleet's 2020 sailing season.The Seaway’s Montreal / Lake Ontario section will open on April 1 this year, eight days after the opening of the Welland Canal.

U.S. Department of Transportation Announces Hands-Free Mooring Technology Fully Operational at all St. Lawrence Seaway Locks.The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) today announced that Hands-Free Mooring (HFM) technology is fully deployed throughout the Saint Lawrence Seaway. The new technology revolutionizes the method for locking vessels through the Seaway and is the most important technological advance since the Seaway’s opening in 1959.“This new technology is a significant modernization of the St.

The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation marked the opening of the Seaway’s 60th navigation season today, with the transit of the newly built Algoma Niagara through Lock 3 on the Welland Canal. State-of-the-art ships such as the Algoma Niagara serve as a key part of the supply chain serving to bolster the competitiveness of North American industry. Over 227,000 jobs are supported by cargo moving over the Great Lakes / Seaway System. Terence Bowles, President and CEO of The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC), noted in his opening address that 2018 marked both the 60th navigation season for the waterway and the 20th anniversary of the SLSMC. Created in 1998 as a not-for-profit corporation, the SLSMC succeeded the former St. Lawrence Seaway Authority.

The U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) and the Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation have jointly marked the opening of the Seaway’s 59th navigation season. The official opening ceremony of the binational waterway took place on March 20 at the St. Lambert Lock in Montreal with Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau attending as honored guest and SLSMC President and CEO Terence Bowles and SLSDC Deputy Administrator Craig H. Middlebrook addressing the gathering. “The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System is a tremendous asset that provides a safe and efficient means of moving cargo worldwide,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today administered the oath of office to former U.S. Congresswoman Betty Sutton who becomes the tenth Administrator of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC). “We are pleased to welcome Betty Sutton to the Department as the new Administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation,” said SLSDC Deputy Administrator Craig H. Middlebrook. “She brings a wealth of experience from her years of service at the city, county, state and federal levels of government.

Economic conditions and severe weather conditions have formed the perfect storm to slow some traditional trade at U.S. ports along the St. Lawrence Seaway System. The St. Lawrence Seaway reported that year-to-date total cargo shipments for the period March 22 to July 31 was 17.1 million metric tons, virtually flat over the same period in 2011. While July is usually a slow month on the System, not all the news was negative. “The Great Lakes Seaway system is an attractive market for breakbulk cargoes, and offers one of the most promising areas for growth,” said Craig H.