The following is the text of a news release from the Lake Carriers' Association:
(CLEVELAND) – Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway totaled 6.7 million tons in August, an increase of 10.1 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments also bettered the month’s five-year average by 6.2 percent.
Shipments from U.S. Great Lakes ports totaled 6.3 million tons in August, an increase of 18 percent compared to a year ago. However, loadings at Canadian terminals in the Seaway totaled 360,000 tons, a drop of nearly 50 percent.
Year to date, the iron ore trade stands at 36.8 million tons, an increase of 12.2 percent compared to the same point in 2016. Year over year, loadings at U.S. ports total 33.8 million tons, an increase of 15.2 percent. Shipments from Canadian ports in the St. Lawrence Seaway total 3 million tons, a decrease of 13.3 percent.
The Lake Carriers’ Association represents 13 American companies that operate 49 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, as well as sand, grain and other dry-bulk cargos. Collectively, these vessels can transport more than 100 million tons of cargo per year. More information is available at www.lcaships.com.
