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 5.3 million tons in October, a virtual tie with a year ago. However, shipments trailed the month’s five-year average by 10 percent.
Shipments from U.S. Great Lakes ports totaled 4.8 million tons in October, an increase of 5.4 percent. However, loadings at Canadian terminals in the Seaway fell nearly 35 percent to just 482,720 tons.
Year to date, the iron ore trade stands at 43.4 million tons, a decrease of 2.2 percent compared to the same point in 2015. Year over year, loadings at U.S. ports total 39.1 million tons, an increase of 1.5 percent, but shipments from Canadian ports in the St. Lawrence Seaway have slipped to 4.3 million tons, a decrease of nearly 27 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.
