CLEVELAND – Shipments of iron ore and limestone on the Great Lakes declined in 2022, according to data from the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA).
Iron ore shipments totaled 3.99 million tons in December, a decrease of 11.9 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments were also below the five-year average for the month by 19.8 percent.
The year-end total for the iron ore trade stands at 42.3 million tons, a decrease of 18 percent compared to 2021.
Compared to the trade’s five-year average, 2022 iron ore loadings were down 17.9 percent.
Great Lakes iron ore shipments
(December 2017-2022 and five-year average)
Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 28.8 million tons in 2022, a decrease of 2.45 percent compared to 2021. Last year’s loadings were slightly below the trade’s five-year average.
Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 23 million tons, a decrease of 1.9 percent compared to 2021. Shipments from U.S. quarries were also below their five-year average by 1.4 percent.
Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 5.8 million tons, a decrease of 4.5 percent compared to the prior year, but 5.7 percent better than their five-year average.
Great Lakes limestone shipments
(December 2017-2022 and five-year average)
