COVID-19 Weighs on Great Lakes-Seaway Shipping
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.
Diverse Seaway Cargoes Keep U.S. Ports Bustling in July
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.
US Ports Begin 2015 ‘Fast and Furious’
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.
National Freight Advisory Approves Harbor Maintenance Tax
The National Freight Advisory Committee yesterday unanimously approved a recommendation to pass legislation that will ensure that the Harbor Maintenance Tax is utilized for its intended purpose - to keep the nation's harbors and channels dredged and maintained at their maximum authorized depth for the safe shipping of commerce. The resolution was championed by Paul C. LaMarre III, Executive Director of the Port of Monroe, Michigan. The Harbor Maintenance Tax is a user fee collected by the U.S. Government to ensure the adequate maintenance and operations of the national waterway infrastructure. In recent years, more fees have been collected than expended and the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund contains a surplus of $8.2 billion.
