Great Lakes Iron Ore Trade Surges in September
Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway totaled 6.5 million tons in September, an increase of 23.4 percent compared to a year ago, the Lake Carriers' Association (LCA) said. Shipments also bettered the month’s 5-year average by 8.5 percent.
According to the LCA, shipments from U.S. ports totaled 6.2 million tons in September, an increase of 25.8 percent compared to a year ago. However, loadings at Canadian terminals in the Seaway dipped by a boatload or so to 303,000 tons.
Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 43.3 million tons, an increase of 13.7 percent compared to the same point in 2016. Year-over-year, loadings at U.S. ports total 40 million tons, an increase of 16.7 percent. Shipments from Canadian ports in the St. Lawrence Seaway total 3.3 million tons, a decrease of 13.1 percent.