US-flag Great Lakes Shipping Dips Slightly in July

U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters (lakers) moved 9.7 million tons of cargo on the Great Lakes in July, a decrease of 1.5 percent compared to a year ago, the Lake Carriers' Association (LCA) reported. July’s shipments also trailed the month’s long-term average by 8.4 percent.

Iron ore cargos for steelmaking totaled 5 million tons, an increase of 8.7 percent compared to a year ago, while coal loadings slipped 16.7 percent to 1.4 million tons and limestone cargos hauled in U.S. bottoms totaled 2.8 million tons, a decrease of 2.6 percent compared to a year ago.

Year-over-year U.S.-flag cargos total 40.3 million tons, a slight decrease (95,000 tons) from the same point in 2016. Iron ore shipments have increased 6.3 percent to 22.9 million tons. Coal cargos have dipped 2.4 percent to 6 million tons. The 9.3 million tons of aggregate, fluxstone and scrubber stone shipped represent a decrease of 10.2 percent.