Shipments of coal on the Great Lakes totaled 2.2 million tons in April, a decrease of 3.8 percent compared to a year ago. However, when compared to its 5-year average, the trade was down nearly 27 percent.
Loadings at Lake Superior ports increased by nearly 10 percent, but shipments from Chicago fell by a third. Lake Erie ports were off 12.3 percent, or 90,000 tons. Year-to-date the Lakes coal trade stands at 3.3 million tons, a decrease of 8.7 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings are 31 percent behind the 5-year average for the January-April timeframe.
Lake Carriers’ Association represents 17 American companies that operate 57 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. Those cargos support more than 103,000 jobs with an average wage of $47,000. More information is available at www.lcaships.com.
Source: Lake Carriers’ Association.