Great Lakes Limestone, Iron Ore Trades Dip

Shipments of limestone and iron ore on the Great Lakes were down in April, trade group the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA) said on Friday.

Great Lakes limestone shipments totaled 2 million net tons, a decrease of 16.6% compared to a year ago, though loadings were above the month’s five-year average by 5.5%.

Limestone loadings at U.S. ports totaled 1.6 million tons, a decrease of 14.6%, while shipments from Canadian quarries decreased by 24.4% to 370,107 tons.

Year-to-date the limestone trade stands at 2 million tons, a decrease of 19.1% from 2021. Shipments from U.S. ports decreased by 16.5% from the previous year, while shipments from Canadian ports decreased by 28.8%.

Iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes totaled 3 million tons in April, a decrease of 44.7% compared to last year. Shipments were 41.3% below the month’s five-year average.

Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 5.5 million tons, a decrease of 41.7% compared to the same point in 2021. Through April, iron ore shipments are 37.4% below their five-year average for four months of the year.