U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters (lakers) moved 9.1 million tons of cargo in September, a decrease of 7 percent compared to a year ago, according to the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA). The September float was also 8.7 percent below the month’s five-year average.
Iron ore cargos for the steel industry totaled 4.3 million tons, a virtual repeat of a year ago. Coal shipments to power plants and steel mills fell to 1.8 million tons, a decrease of 14.3 percent. Limestone for construction projects and steel production totaled 2.5 million tons, a decrease of 15.2 percent compared to a year ago.
Year-over-year U.S.-flag carriage stands at 59 million tons, a decrease of 5.2 percent. Iron ore cargos are up 3.9 percent, but coal loads have dipped 23.3 percent. Limestone shipments trail last year by 6.7 percent.