Great Lakes Iron Ore Trade Dips 9% in May

Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway totaled 6 million tons in May, a decrease of 9 percent compared to a year ago, according to figures compiled by the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA).  Shipments also trailed the month’s five-year average by 7 percent, LCA said.

 

Shipments from U.S. ports totaled 5.5 million tons in May, a decrease of 8 percent compared to a year ago, while loadings at Canadian terminals dipped by 20 percent to 556,000 tons.

 

Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 15.4 million tons, an increase of 4 percent.  Loadings at U.S. ports are up nearly 8 percent, but shipments from Canadian ports in the St. Lawrence Seaway are down 21 percent.