Seaway Shipping News

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has published a Proposed Rule in the Federal Register outlining U.S. Great Lakes pilotage rates for the 2024 shipping season.The new rates seek to generate revenue for each of the three U.S. Great Lakes pilot associations by implementing hourly charges for pilotage services according to geographic area. Pilotage rates are paid by vessel operators serving Great Lakes ports.The Coast Guard proposes to increase the overall cost of U.S. Great Lakes pilotage in 2024 compared to 2023 by $1.9 million or 5%.

U.S. grain and coke exports boosted overall shipping volumes through the St. Lawrence Seaway in June.Total cargo tonnage shipments (from March 22 to June 30) via the St. Lawrence Seaway totaled 11.9 million metric tons, down 8.3% compared to 2021 but gaining ground in comparison to April, when it was down 18% at the start of the season. Other system-wide highlights include an increase in project cargo such as wind energy components and a 55% increase in coke shipments, including exports to Europe for cement production. U.S.

The St. Lawrence Seaway kicked off its 2022 navigation season on Tuesday, with international freighters able to arrive at the Montreal – Lake Ontario section of the binational St. Lawrence Seaway.“We’re thrilled to start the 2022 navigation season,” said Craig Middlebrook, Deputy Administrator of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. “This year we’re confident that the St. Lawrence Seaway will continue to be a major driver of economic development while offering…

U.S. Great Lakes ports and the St. Lawrence Seaway are reporting a rush of activity as manufacturers stockpile raw materials and businesses take advantage of the congestion-free waterway to export overseas with just two weeks left of the season, the Chamber of Marine Commerce reports.“U.S. Great Lakes ports have roared back this year – recovering from major 2020 declines in traditional cargoes like iron ore and steel but also developing new business and seizing on opportunities for infrastructure investment. This story of recovery and renewal is mirrored in the latest St.

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.

Closing the St. Lawrence Seaway in December to accommodate higher water outflow at the Moses-Saunders dam would cost the Canadian and U.S. economies $250 million/per week — impacting farmers’ grain exports, manufacturing plant operations and disrupting deliveries of fuel, construction materials and road salt for winter safety to cites throughout the region.The Chamber of Marine Commerce is issuing today’s comments to provide a wider context of the economic repercussions related to calls to increase the water outflow at Moses-Saunders dam to levels that would be unsafe for navigation and halt shipping on the St. Lawrence Seaway during December.Increasing outflows above the safe navigation limit to the highest levels possible would lower Lake Ontario levels less than 4 centimeters a week.

The Great Lakes Seaway Partnership hosted Capitol Day in St. Paul, Minnesota yesterday to meet with Governor Tim Walz and other key legislators to share insights on the critical role of the Great Lakes Seaway system in maintaining a vibrant regional, national and global economy.“Commercial navigation on the Great Lakes Seaway system is an economic driver — both broadly in the United States and Canada — but, especially, in Minnesota. More cargo moves in-and-out through Minnesota ports than any other Great Lakes state and supports over 6…

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.

As marine shipping continues to support the growth of the Canadian and U.S. economies, St. Lawrence Seaway cargo shipments to-date for 2917 are 14 percent ahead of 2016 volumes. Total cargo tonnage from March 20 to September 30 reached 24.3 million metric tons – 3 million metric tons more compared to the same period in 2016, according to The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation. “Our results point to the strength of the Canadian and U.S. economies. Export shipments of mined products such as iron ore and dry bulk via the Seaway have grown dramatically this year…

With strong increases in iron ore and other cargo, total tonnage shipped via the St. Lawrence Seaway is up 20 percent over last year. The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation reports that cargo shipments from March 20 to June 30 totaled more than 12 million metric tons – up two million metric tons over the same period in 2016. “St. Lawrence Seaway shipping is a bellwether for the health of the overall U.S. and Canadian economies and reflects strong demand for raw materials to support the automotive…

Spring cargo numbers from the St. Lawrence Seaway and U.S. ports are signaling a better year for Great Lakes-Seaway shipping. According to the latest figures from the St. Lawrence Seaway, total cargo shipments via the Seaway from the start of the shipping season (March 20 through April 30) reached 3.7 million metric tons, up 8 percent from the same period a year ago. “It’s still very early in the season, but we’re optimistic that 2017 will be a better year for Great Lakes-Seaway shipping,” said Bruce Burrows, President of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “U.S.

Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway shipping rebounded in August due to a surge in U.S. grain exports, iron ore shipment improvements and a steady flow of raw materials for manufacturing and construction. “We’ve seen a real rally in August. St. Lawrence Seaway cargo shipments were up 8 percent compared to the same month last year,” said Stephen Brooks, President of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “U.S. grain exports now match last season’s strong performance. Iron ore shipments have improved as Canadian and U.S.

Plans for a second heavy icebreaker for service on the Great Lakes have taken another step toward reality with Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) including $2 million for initial survey and design work for a vessel that is at least as capable as the current icebreaker Mackinaw in the committee report on the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill. The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015 had previously authorized a new heavy icebreaker for Lakes service. Senator Baldwin’s…

Too few icebreakers and lack of a second Poe-sized lock threaten shipping on the Great Lakes and St. Insufficient U.S. and Canadian icebreakers and reliance on a single Poe-sized lock to connect Lake Superior to the Lower Lakes and Seaway threaten the future of shipping on America’s Fourth Sea Coast warns Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF) in its 2015 Annual Report released today. “Another near arctic winter significantly impacted navigation, and then a 20-day closure of…

North America’s largest mining, manufacturing and agricultural companies have helped identify four top priorities to improve the competitiveness of Great Lakes shipping, and as a result, the prosperity of the entire region. These priorities will be the Chamber of Marine Commerce’s focus in the coming year. “Our customers are critical to the viability of Great Lakes-Seaway shipping and the underlying economy. As one of our large industrial customers put it: No customer = no ships, no ports, no Seaway,” said Stephen Brooks, President of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “Tough global economic conditions mean that our manufacturing, food, mining and construction sectors are under more pressure than ever to be competitive.

The Port of Duluth-Superior said it will welcome seven ships for winter layup this year. The firs tvessel Indiana Harbor laid up early on November 3 for a repowering project is already underway at Fraser Shipyards on the Herbert C. Jackson, in dry dock since early December. The Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie are set to close at midnight on Friday, January 15. By then, four more wintering vessels are expected to have arrived in the Twin Ports beginning Thursday morning with the anticipated arrival of the Edwin H. Gott, followed Friday or later by the American Century, the Kaye E. Barker and the Philip R. Clarke. The last laker, the thousand-footer Paul R.

The American Great Lakes Ports Association in partnership with the Lake Carriers’ Association, Fednav Limited, and the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, have jointly sponsored a new bi-national public affairs program called The Great Lakes Seaway Partnership. The Great Lakes Seaway Partnership, officially launched today with the unveiling of a new website, brings together leading U.S. and Canadian maritime organizations working to enhance public understanding of the benefits of commercial shipping in the Great Lakes Seaway region of North America. The organization will manage an education-focused communications program, sponsor research and work closely with media…

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…

As the debate continues both at home and abroad on carbon offsetting measures, the Chamber of Marine Commerce is urging stakeholders and governments to consider the environmental advantages and the competitive challenges faced by the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence shipping industry. The call comes as the Ontario government develops details of a new cap-and-trade system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and federal government negotiators head to Paris in December for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meeting.

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.

The upbound freighter 'Sedna Desgagnes' aground near Johnstown Bridge off Prescott, Ontario. The casualty is completely out of the channel and appears to be in a shoal area with 6 m of water or less. The ship is hard aground with cargo on board. She is up at the bow a few feet and listing slightly to starboard. This will be a major salvage operation with lightering taking place before she is pulled off her strand, according to 'Daily Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping News'. The tug Ocean Georgie Bain was upbound and due to reach Iroquois Locks Sunday afternoon. Multiple tugs may be needed due to the close proximity of the bridge pilon and the very strong current which will take the Sedna towards it as soon as she is released from her strand. No pollution was reported.

Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) advises that it has strengthened its Singapore-based management team with the appointment of Ms. Hege Solstad as Regional Director, WSS Asia Pacific, and Harald Lundestad as General Manager in the Singapore office. WSS say that these appointments reflect increased levels of business and a focus on expanding service provision across the Asia-Pacific region. Both individuals bring key skillsets to the WSS Asia operations, having worked across global…