Great Lakes Iron Ore Trade Up 18 Percent in July

Iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes totaled 7,046,156 tons in July, an increase of 12.2 percent over June, and an increase of 18 percent compared to a year ago.

July loadings also were up 12-plus percent compared to the month’s 5-year average.

Shipments from U.S. ports totaled 6.3 million tons, an increase of nearly 21 percent compared to a year ago.  However, loadings at Canadian ports were virtually unchanged – 746,887 tons.

Through July the iron ore trade stands at 30.1 million tons, an increase of 9.1 percent compared to a year ago, and nearly 10 percent better than the 5-year average for the January-July timeframe.  

Shipments from U.S. ports are up 8.4 percent compared to a year ago and 12.2 percent ahead of their 5-year average.  Loadings at Canadian ports are 8.7 percent ahead of last year’s pace, but 16 percent below the 5-year average for the first seven months of the year.

Lake Carriers’ Association represents 17 American companies that operate 55 U.S.-flag vessels on the Great Lakes and carry the raw materials that drive the nation’s economy: iron ore and fluxstone for the steel industry, aggregate and cement for the construction industry, coal for power generation....  Collectively, these vessels can transport more than 115 million tons of cargo per year when high water offsets lack of adequate dredging.  More information is available at www.lcaships.com.