The following is the text of a news release from the Lake Carriers' Association:
(CLEVELAND) — U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters (lakers) moved 10.1 million tons of cargo in September, an increase of 10.7 percent compared to a year ago. September’s shipments also bettered the month’s long-term average by 3.1 percent, or 300,000 tons.
Iron ore cargoes for steelmaking totaled 4.9 million tons, an increase of 14 percent compared to a year ago.
Coal loadings approached 1.9 million tons, an increase of 6.1 percent.
Limestone cargoes increased 10.1 percent to 2.7 million tons.
Year over year, U.S.-flag cargoes total 60.5 million tons, an increase of 2.7 percent over the same point in 2016. Iron ore shipments have increased 7.1 percent to 32.4 million tons. Coal cargoes have increased 85,000 tons to 9.4 million tons. The 15.3 million tons of aggregate, fluxstone and scrubber stone shipped have pulled that trade within 3.3 percent of last year’s end of September total.
Lake Carriers’ Association represents 13 American companies that operate 49 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 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.
