Lakes iron ore trade down 7 percent in June

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 5.8 million tons in June, a decrease of 7.3 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments also trailed the month’s five-year average by 8.4 percent.

Shipments from U.S. ports totaled 5.2 million tons in June, a decrease of 5.5 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings at Canadian terminals dipped 19 percent to 564,000 tons.

Year to date, the iron ore trade stands at 21.2 million tons, an increase of just 126,041 tons compared to the same point in 2015. Loadings at U.S. ports are up 3.7 percent, but shipments from Canadian ports in the St. Lawrence Seaway are down nearly 21 percent.

By Professional Mariner Staff