Great Lakes/Seaway Iron Ore Trade Rises in August
Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway totaled 6.7 million tons in August, an increase of 10.1 percent compared to a year ago, according to latest figures from the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA). Shipments also bettered the month’s five-year average by 6.2 percent.
LCA said shipments from U.S. Great Lakes ports totaled 6.3 million tons in August, an increase of 18 percent compared to a year ago. However, loadings at Canadian terminals in the Seaway totaled 360,000 tons, a drop of nearly 50 percent.
Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 36.8 million tons, an increase of 12.2 percent compared to the same point in 2016. Year-over-year, loadings at U.S. ports total 33.8 million tons, an increase of 15.2 percent. Shipments from Canadian ports in the St. Lawrence Seaway total 3 million tons, a decrease of 13.3 percent.