Great Lakes Iron Ore, Limestone Trades Rise in August

Shipments of iron ore and limestone on the Great Lakes for the month of August both increased compared to 2022, up 8.6% and 4.4% respectively, according to latest figures from the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA).

The 5.5 million tons or iron ore shipped in August was 3.5% above the month’s five-year average, while limestone cargos were above the month’s five-year average by 3.7%, LCA said. Limestone loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 3.3 million tons, an increase of 5% compared to 2022.  Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 754,178 tons, an increase of 1.9%.

Year-to-date the iron ore trade totals 31.2 million tons, an increase of 28.9% compared to the same point last year. Through August iron shipments are 6.5%  above their five-year average for eight months of the year.

Year-to-date the Lakes limestone trade stands at 16.2 million tons, a decrease of 7.4% compared to a year ago. Loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries total 13.1 million tons, a decrease of 5.1%. Shipments from Ontario quarries total 3.1 million tons, a decrease of 15.6%.