Joe Cappel News

As the St. Lawrence Seaway officially opened for business yesterday (March 26), U.S. Great Lakes ports are predicting the shipping season will mirror last year’s stellar performance.In 2018, many U.S. Great Lakes ports recorded their highest cargo totals in recent years, with strong volumes of iron ore, petroleum products, construction products and international grain exports. This coming season, road salt shipments should also be strong as cities replenish their reserves after a long, difficult winter. “We are optimistic these trends will continue into the new season and off-season investments made by the St. Lawrence Seaway and local ports will make 2019 another great season for our members,” says Bruce Burrows, President of the Chamber of Marine Commerce.

Great Lakes-St. Lawrence shipping continues to bounce back after a slow start. With strong tonnage numbers in July, particularly shipments of U.S. grain, liquid bulk and project cargo, the 2018 shipping season is right on par with the healthy statistics posted last year.Overall cargo shipments on the St. Lawrence Seaway between March 29 and July 31 totaled 16.5 million metric tons. Areas of strength included U.S. grain shipments totaling 888,000 metric tons, up 32 percent over last year. Liquid bulk shipments totaled 2.3 million metric tons, an increase of 25 percent.

United States grain exports via the St. Lawrence Seaway are up 32.1 percent this season compared to 2017. Construction materials were also heavily influential in the latest results with a nearly 38 percent increase in asphalt from the same time last year, as well as increases in cement and stone.“Summer is the season for construction projects and ships have been delivering materials for major building projects across the region,” says Bruce Burrows, President of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “U.S.

A strong finish to the St. Lawrence Seaway’s 2016 shipping season is expected as freighters deliver raw materials and exports for North America’s industrial and agricultural sectors before the waterway closes December 31. "The St. Lawrence Seaway has been a significant export gateway for American grain and iron ore pellets this season and that’s expected to continue in these final weeks of December,” said Bruce R. Burrows, the new president of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “High…

“November was a good month for the export of agricultural products and shipments of aluminum ingots on the Great Lakes Seaway System,” said Betty Sutton, Administrator of the U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. “Under the binational trade development program known as ‘Highway H2O’, the U.S. Sutton added, “The U.S. Great Lakes ports of Toledo, Ohio; Duluth, Minn.; Burns Harbor, Ind.; and Milwaukee, Wis. handled corn, soybeans and wheat exports bound for Europe, South America, and Central America.

“Agricultural commodities along with dry bulk, general cargo and containerized goods continued to enhance cargo tonnage on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System during the month of November,” said Betty Sutton, Administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. The general cargo dock operated by Midwest Terminals had a good month of November at the Port of Toledo. “The ability to handle a diverse array of cargo at this large facility with new material handling equipment is really helping move the economy of Northwest Ohio forward…

With two months left in the shipping season, U.S. ports were busy moving grain and project cargo in October. “We anticipated an increase in vessel activity and cargo tonnage into the Great Lakes Seaway System for the month of October, and we saw it,” said Betty Sutton, Administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. October traditionally signals the initial push to get cargo into and out of the Great Lakes Seaway System before the end of the navigation season. Increases were seen in the number of international ships arriving in the System loaded with project cargo for local manufacturers in Cleveland, Toledo, and Duluth. Those same ships left the Seaway System with shipments of grain and project cargo from Milwaukee, Duluth and Sturgeon Bay, WI.

As ongoing commodity price pressures continued to impact overall tonnage volumes through the St. Lawrence Seaway in September, the shipping industry was buoyed by a number of investments in recent weeks by ship operators and ports, according to the Chamber of Marine Commerce, an association representing Canadian and American marine industry stakeholders. “Despite slower iron ore and coal, growth continues on the Seaway in shipments for domestic sectors like construction, salt mining, agriculture and manufacturing,” said Stephen Brooks, President of the Chamber of Marine Commerce.

Press release - While August is generally slower for Seaway traffic, U.S. ports handled a range of project cargo for their customers. “During the month of August, high value project cargo was on the move throughout the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System,” said Betty Sutton, Administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. “Ships carried oversized cargo of wind components like towers, nacelles, blades and hubs; machinery, generators, and refinery equipment to the Ports of Cleveland, Toledo and Duluth. The 2015 shipping season has been a good year for project cargo shipments at the Port of Toledo. “Many of the project cargo shipments via the Seaway are in support of the regional oil and gas industry…

While July Seaway traffic fluctuated across the various categories, U.S. ports handled a wide range of cargoes in July. “It was a solid month for our U.S. Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System ports with more ships entering the Seaway System with aluminum, iron ore and salt,” said Betty Sutton, Administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. Also notable was the increase in containers to the Ports of Detroit and Cleveland, wind turbines to the Port of Monroe and outbound shipments of grain from Duluth. “Short sea shipping is alive and well at the Port of Toledo,” said Joe Cappel, Vice President of Business Development for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority.

American grain shipments through the St. Lawrence Seaway are up 63 percent so far this season as ships transport corn to Canada and soybeans for international export, reports the Chamber of Marine Commerce. According to figures from the St. Lawrence Seaway, U.S. grain totaled 765,000 metric tons for the period from April 2 through July 31. U.S. Great Lakes ports that receive and export grain through the waterway include Duluth-Superior, Toledo, Milwaukee, Chicago, Indiana Burns Harbor and Buffalo.

June was an active month for U.S. ports receiving a variety of general cargo shipments through the St. Lawrence Seaway. “What’s notable about the June tonnage numbers were increases in the export of U.S. grain to Europe and the import of aluminum and steel to the ports of Cleveland, Toledo, Oswego, Detroit, and Burns Harbor. Cargo activity like this is a true reflection of just how hard our port representatives are working to market their operations to current and potential customers worldwide,” said Betty Sutton, Administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.

Even with a blip due to ice coverage in late March and early April, U.S. ports along the Great Lakes-Seaway System are tracking ahead of tonnage moved in April 2014. In fact, most ports are seeing increases in multiple categories. “In 2015 we are excited to continue the momentum from 2014 when we finished the season with a 20 percent increase in overall tonnage,” said Paul Toth, President and CEO of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority. “There has been a good mix of marine cargo traffic early on in 2015,” said Joe Cappel, Vice President of Business Development for the Port Authority.

The St. Lawrence Seaway reported that year-to-date cargo shipments of more than 24 million metric tons moved through the system for the period March 28 to September 30 – an increase of nearly 5 percent over September 2013. U.S. grain continued its upward trend posting a 14.6 percent increase over the same time last year. “Cargo tonnage moved through the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System during the month of September continues to be robust and reflects positively on the economy and the shipping industry,” said Administrator Betty Sutton of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.

Total cargo shipments on the St. Lawrence Seaway have now surpassed 2013 levels by 5 percent due to strong North American import/export activity. According to the St. Lawrence Seaway, total cargo tonnage from March 25 to September 30 reached 24.4 million metric tons. Stephen Brooks, President of the Chamber of Marine Commerce, said, “September was another strong month for the St. Lawrence Seaway as marine shipping helped U.S. companies export products and import much-needed materials. Many people don’t realize that ships are regularly carrying a huge amount of trade between Canada and the U.S.

Total cargo shipments on the St. Lawrence Seaway have surpassed 2013 levels despite one of the most difficult starts to the shipping season in years due to ice coverage. According to Seaway figures, total cargo tonnage from March 25 to August 31 reached 20 million metric tons, up 3 percent over the same period last year. Vanta Coda, Executive Director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, said, “It’s taken several months to even get close to catching up from the icy start to this shipping season but, by mid-summer, cargo shipments through the Port of Duluth-Superior had rebounded significantly.

While the 2013 shipping season saw overall fluctuating cargo figures, U.S. ports on the Great Lakes have continued to outperform their initial projections. The St. Lawrence Seaway reported that year-to-date total cargo shipments for the period March 22 to November 30 were 33 million metric tons, down 6% over the same period in 2012. "The shipping industry in the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System relied heavily on our terminal operators and longshoremen this month as they loaded and unloaded ships full of steel…

While total cargo movements through the St. Lawrence Seaway in August remained in the negative column (down 9 percent over 2012), the 19.3 million metric tons of cargo moved through the system represented an improvement over last month's statistics. Ingenuity and resourcefulness, hallmarks of the Seaway System and its users, were evident at U.S. ports around the region. U.S. ports spent the generally slow month of August continuing work on infrastructure projects and securing new cargo shipments. "So far in 2013 we have seen general cargo volumes double over last year at the Port of Toledo. This is a good sign that the port is building momentum and that our investments in the equipment and infrastructure at the facility are paying off…

Continued demand for iron ore, coal, and general cargo for the industrial and manufacturing sectors lifted the tonnage numbers along the Great Lakes-Seaway System to the positive column. For the period March 22 to November 30, year-to-date total cargo shipments were 34.6 million metric tons, a rise of 2.67 percent over the same period in 2011. The St. Lawrence Seaway reported an 11 percent increase for total cargo shipments during the month of November – 5.1 million metric tons – compared to November 2011. “The nearly 3 percent rise in overall tonnage handled through the Seaway in 2012 is due in part to the proven formula of ‘steel in, grain out’ as steel imports rose 12 percent in November as compared to the same month last year, and combined Canadian-U.S.

North American commodities for the industrial and manufacturing sectors drove an uptick in tonnage numbers along the Great Lakes-Seaway System. The St. Lawrence Seaway reported a 9.8 percent increase for total cargo shipments in October – 4.4 million metric tons – compared to October 2011. For the period March 22 to October 31, year-to-date total cargo shipments were 29.5 million metric tons, a rise of 1.4 percent over the same period in 2011. “In the General Cargoes category…