Great Lakes/Seaway Iron Ore Trade Up in August

Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway totaled 6,048,409 tons in August, an increase of 2.9 percent compared to a year ago, according to the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA). However, shipments trailed the month’s 5-year average by 5 percent.

 

LCA said shipments from U.S. ports totaled 5.3 million tons in August, an increase of 7.7 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings at Canadian terminals, meanwhile, dipped by 23 percent to 709,000 tons.

 

Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 32,851,570 tons, a decrease of 2 percent compared to the same point in 2015. Year-over-year, loadings at U.S. ports are up by 270,000 tons, or 0.9 percent, but shipments from Canadian ports in the St. Lawrence Seaway have slipped by 955,000 tons, or 21.6 percent.