LCA: Great Lakes Iron Ore Trade Up 9 Percent in August

Iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes totaled 6,551,329 tons in August, a decrease of 7 percent from July, but an increase of 9 percent compared to a year ago.

August loadings also were up 24.6 percent compared to the month’s 5-year average. Shipments from U.S. ports totaled 5.8 million tons, an increase of 14.2 percent compared to a year ago.  However, loadings at Canadian ports dipped more than 20 percent. Through August the iron ore trade stands at 36.7 million tons, an increase of 9.1 percent compared to a year ago, and 9.4 percent better than the 5-year average for the January-August timeframe.  

Shipments from U.S. ports are up 10 percent compared to a year ago and 14.3 percent ahead of their 5-year average.  Loadings at Canadian ports are 1.6 percent ahead of last year’s pace, but 14.6 percent below the 5-year average for the first eight months of the year. Lake Carriers’ Association represents 17 American companies that operate 55 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 when high water offsets lack of adequate dredging.  More information is available at www.lcaships.com.