Great Lakes News


Great Lakes Iron Ore Trade Up in July

Sep 05, 2019

Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 6.56 million tons in July, an increase of 1.5 percent compared to a year ago.  Shipments were also 9.8 percent ahead of the month’s 5-year average.Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 26…

Bay Shipbuilding Cuts Steel on Great Lakes Freighter

Aug 15, 2019

The U.S. Great Lakes freighter fleet are well-renowned for being a 'mature' group of ships, a point magnified yesterday when Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding started construction on the first U.S.-flagged Great Lakes bulk carrier built in more than 35 years…

U.S.-Flag June Laker Cargo Up 2.3 PCT

Aug 13, 2019

U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters (lakers) moved 9.9 million tons of cargo in June, an increase of 2.3 percent from a year ago.  The June float was, however, a near mirror image of the month’s 5-year average.Iron ore cargos for steel production totaled 5…

Great Lakes Region Creates 132K+ Maritime Jobs

Jul 24, 2019

According to a new study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) on behalf of Transportation Institute (TI), the Jones Act continues to fuel a strong maritime industry throughout the Great Lakes region, where the PwC report shows 123,670 Jones…

Water Outflow on Seaway Now Above 10,400 CMS

Jun 26, 2019

The Chamber of Marine Commerce supports the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board’s decision Friday to continue flow rates from the Moses-Saunders dam at 10,400 cubic meters per second (CMS).Maintaining the 10,400 CMS outflow still results in a significant cost to the economy…

​Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway Shipping Rebounds

Jun 14, 2019

After a slow start due to ice conditions, St. Lawrence Seaway cargo surged in May fueled by grain and iron ore exports and shipments of road salt. According to the latest numbers, cargo shipments from March 22 through the end of May totaled 8…

U.S.-Flag Laker Cargo Up 23% in April

May 30, 2019

U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters (lakers) moved 7.5 million tons of cargo in April, an increase of 23 percent compared to a year ago.  The April float was 20.7 percent above the month’s 5-year average.April iron ore cargos for steel production totaled 4…

CG Seeks Participants for Straits of Mackinac PAWSA Workshop

May 24, 2019

The U.S. Coast Guard is soliciting for members of the public to participate in a Ports and Waterways Safety Assessment (PAWSA) workshop for the Straits of Mackinac that will take place in St. Ignace, Michigan, July 24 and 25.A longstanding and proven Coast Guard process for formal public study…

2019 Shipping Season to Open for Duluth

Mar 21, 2019

Last night’s arrival of United States Coast Guard Cutters Alder and Mackinaw signaled that the 2019 commercial shipping season is soon to commence for the Port of Duluth-Superior and the entire region.The Alder and Mackinaw made their way across Lake Superior from Sault Ste…

Burns Harbor Extends Key Partnership

Feb 10, 2019

The Port of Indiana Burns-Harbor has extended its partnership with its longtime stevedore and marine terminal operating company, Federal Marine Terminals.A press note from the Ports of Indiana, a statewide port authority operating three ports on the Ohio River and Lake Michigan…

"Lakers" up 17.5% in December 2018

Jan 23, 2019

U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters carried 8.5 million tons of cargo in December, an increase of 17.5 percent compared to a year ago.  Driving the surge was a 16-percent increase in iron ore cargos.  Limestone and coal cargos also registered increases…

Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Shipping Sets 2019 Priorities

Jan 18, 2019

Chamber of Marine Commerce President Bruce Burrows has unveiled a 2019 wish list for legislative and policymakers designed to make Great Lakes-St. Lawrence and coastal shipping more competitive and build on the remarkable growth of the 2018 season…

Seaway Activity Exceeds 40 Million Tonnes in 2018

Jan 18, 2019

The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) has announced that tonnage on the waterway during the 2018 navigation season totaled 40.9 million tonnes. The highest result since 2007, much of the credit for the increase in tonnage can be given to healthy movements of grain…

Great Lakes Limestone Trade Up 1.3%

Jan 15, 2019

Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 28.4 million tons in 2018, an increase of 1.3 percent compared to 2017. 2018’s loadings were also 2.8 percent above the trade’s 5-year average.Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 23.45 million tons…

U.S. Ports, Seaway Shipping Reporting Strong Finish to 2018 Season

Dec 18, 2018

The St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes ports are reporting strong growth in November cargo volumes that is expected to carry through in the final weeks of the 2018 season.  Overall cargo volumes through the St. Lawrence Seaway from March 29 to November 30 topped 36 million metric tons…

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