Great Lakes Iron Ore Trade Dips 15% in July

Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway totaled 5.6 million tons in July, a decrease of 15 percent compared to a year ago, according to the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA). Shipments also trailed the month’s fuve-year average by more than 18 percent.

Shipments from U.S. ports totaled 4.95 million tons in July, a decrease of nearly 14 percent compared to a year ago, while loadings at Canadian terminals dipped even more – 23 percent – to 643,000 tons, LCA said.

Year-to-date, the iron ore trade stands at 26.8 million tons, a decrease of 3 percent compared to the same point in 2015. Year-over-year, loadings at U.S. ports are down by 113,000 tons, but shipments from Canadian ports in the St. Lawrence Seaway have slipped even more, 21 percent, or 743,000 tons.