The following is the text of a news release from the Lake Carriers Association:
(CLEVELAND) — Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 2,958,522 tons in September, a decrease of 9.5 percent compared to a year ago. September’s loadings were also 13.3 percent below the month’s five-year average.
Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 2,495,401 tons, a decrease of 14.8 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 463,121 tons, an increase of 35.8 percent.
Year to date, the Lakes limestone trade stands at 19,465,787 tons, a decrease of 7.9 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings out of Michigan and Ohio quarries total 15,689,454 tons, a decrease of 12.3 percent. Shipments from Ontario quarries total 3,776,333 tons, an increase of 16.6 percent.
The Lake Carriers’ Association represents 14 American companies that operate 56 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 salt, sand and grain. Collectively, these vessels can transport more than 100 million tons of cargo per year. More information is available at www.lcaships.com.
