The following is the text of a news release from the Lake Carriers' Association:
(CLEVELAND) — Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3,806,526 tons in May, a virtual repeat of a year ago when the trade totaled 3,809,701 tons. This May’s loadings were, however, slightly below the month’s five-year average.
Loadings out of U.S. quarries totaled 3,053,669 tons, a decrease of approximately 40,000 tons compared to a year ago. Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 752,857 tons, an increase of 37,000 tons.
Year to date, the Lakes limestone trade stands at 6,064,130 tons, an increase of 3.7 percent compared to a year ago. Again, loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries are virtually unchanged from a year ago — 4.9 million tons. Shipments from Ontario quarries total 1,169,739 tons, an increase of 216,000 tons.
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.
