Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System

16 May

Grain paces increase in Seaway cargoes through April

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Ports, shipping

(OTTAWA, Ontario) — The first tonnage statistics for 2025 have been reported by the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp., and thus far the 67th navigation season is showing a year-over-year increase in overall traffic. As of the end of April, total traffic reached 4.5 million tonnes, representing a 3.7 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024. Grain and…

13 May

Bulker hits St. Marys River light after steering failure

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, NTSB, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — A steering system failure led to a bulk carrier’s contact with a navigational aid in the St. Marys River near Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday. The bulk carrier American Mariner struck the Munuscong Channel Junction Light on March 28, 2024, as the ship was transiting upbound in the St. Marys River.…

07 May

Great Lakes limestone cargoes down sharply in April

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Ports, shipping

(CLEVELAND) — Limestone shipments on the Great Lakes totaled 1.8 million net tons in April, a decrease of 21.6 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings were also below the month’s five-year average by 15.7 percent. Shipments from U.S. ports totaled 1.5 million tons, a decrease of 18.2 percent. Loadings at Canadian quarries decreased by 35.3 percent to 297,064 tons.…

09 Apr

Great Lakes iron ore trade down nearly one-third in 2025

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Ports, shipping

(CLEVELAND) — Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes were below 1 million tons in March, a decrease of 39.1 percent compared to 2024. Loadings were also below the month’s five-year average by 19.4 percent, according to the Lake Carriers' Association. Year to date, the iron ore trade stands at nearly 3 million tons, a decrease of 31.9 percent…

24 Mar

Soo Locks open early for 2025 shipping season

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, shipping, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

(SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich.) — The Soo Locks officially opened Friday morning for the shipping season, WCMU Public Media reported. The first vessel through was the ATB barge Erie Trader, on its way to Duluth. It was being guided by the tugboat Clyde S. Vanenkevort. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened the locks in Sault St. Marie about four…

12 Feb

Great Lakes iron ore trade down 27 percent in January

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Ports, shipping

(CLEVELAND) — Iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes totaled 2 million tons in January, a decrease of 27.8 percent compared to 2024. Loadings were also below the month’s five-year average by 13 percent, the Lake Carriers' Association reported. Since 1880, the Lake Carriers’ Association has represented the U.S.-flag Great Lakes fleet, which today can move more than 90 million…

03 Feb

U.S. shippers invest $150 million for laker maintenance

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Ports, shipbuilding

(CLEVELAND) — With winter in full swing, U.S.-flagged lakers have tied up in ports across the Great Lakes region for critical maintenance before the navigational locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., reopen on March 25. Hundreds of shipyard workers will flock to the area to support the nearly $150 million maintenance investment being made on these ships. The state receiving…

08 Jan

Great Lakes iron ore trade down 2.5 percent in 2024

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Ports, shipping

(CLEVELAND) — Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 4.6 million tons in December, a decrease of 4.5 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments were just slightly above the five-year average for the month, according to the Lake Carriers' Association. The year-end total for the iron ore trade stands at 49.8 million tons, a decrease of 2.5…

08 Jan

Bulker freed two weeks after grounding in St. Lawrence River

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, shipping, Tugboats and towing

(SOREL-TRACY, Quebec) — A Cyprus-flagged bulk carrier that had been stuck in the St. Lawrence River northeast of Montreal since Christmas Eve was refloated on Tuesday, CBC News reported. The Canadian Coast Guard said M/V Maccoa was being escorted by tugboats to Sorel-Tracy, Quebec. The Coast Guard announced earlier in the day that a second attempt to refloat the ship…

03 Jan

Great Lakes limestone trade down 3.9 percent in 2024

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Ports, shipping

(CLEVELAND) — Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 28.3 million tons in 2024, a decrease of 3.9 percent compared to 2023. Loadings in 2024 were below the trade’s five-year average by 2.9 percent, the Lake Carriers' Association reported. Loadings from U.S. quarries decreased 3.4 percent from the prior year to 22.8 million tons. Shipments from U.S. quarries were…