Great Lakes Iron Ore, Limestone Trades On the Rise

Shipments of iron ore and limestone on the Great Lakes rose in the month of July, according to latest figures published by trade group the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA).

Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 5.8 million tons in July, an increase of 8.9% compared to a year ago, while limestone shipments rose 4.7% to 4.2 million tons, LCA said. The respective trades were above the month’s five-year average by 4.8% and 6.6% respectively.

Year-to-date, the iron ore trade stands at 25.6 million tons, an increase of 34.3% compared to the same point in 2022. Iron ore shipments are 7.1% above their five-year average for the first seven months of the year.

Limestone loaded from U.S. quarries totaled 3.4 million tons, an increase of 11.4% compared to 2022, though shipments from Canadian quarries decreased by 17.3% to 770,365 tons.

Year-to-date, the Lakes limestone trade stands at 12.2 million tons, a decrease of 10.7% compared to a year ago. Loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries total 9.8 million tons, a decrease of 8.1%. Shipments from Ontario quarries total nearly 2.4 million tons, a decrease of 20% compared to 2022.