Shipments of iron ore from U.S. ports on the Great Lakes decreased 14.2 percent from 2024 to 4.7 million tons in September. Shipments were below the month’s 5-year average by 7.4 percent.
Year-to-date, the iron ore trade stands at 31.4 million tons, a 14 percent decrease compared to last year.
Through September, iron ore loadings are 6.6 percent below their 5-year average for the first three quarters of the year.
Since 1880, Lake Carriers’ has represented the U.S.-flag Great Lakes fleet, which today can move more than 90 million tons of cargos annually that are the foundation of American industry, infrastructure, and power: iron ore, stone, coal, cement, and other dry bulk materials such as grain, salt, and sand.
Great Lakes Iron Ore Shipments: September 2020-2025 and 5-Year Average | |||||||
Includes Transshipments to Quebec City for Shipment Overseas | |||||||
(net tons) | |||||||
| Average | ||||||
Port | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020-2024 |
Duluth, MN | 679,082 | 1,059,854 | 1,006,157 | 994,576 | 780,340 | 605,012 | 904,002 |
Superior, WI | 630,822 | 1,366,365 | 1,318,224 | 1,141,618 | 1,383,871 | 892,833 | 1,168,180 |
Two Harbors, MN | 1,324,819 | 1,349,179 | 1,590,522 | 1,683,023 | 1,702,757 | 1,483,586 | 1,530,060 |
Silver Bay, MN | 480,557 | 726,301 | 267,144 | 546,116 | 407,936 | 557,019 | 485,611 |
Marquette, MI* | 561,723 | 520,461 | 540,303 | 787,918 | 819,819 | 816,612 | 646,045 |
Cleveland, OH** | 17,979 | 338,860 | 337,137 | 418,808 | 369,575 | 331,657 | 296,472 |
Ashtabula, OH | 167,847 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33,569 |
Total | 3,862,829 | 5,361,020 | 5,059,487 | 5,572,059 | 5,464,298 | 4,686,719 | 5,063,939 |
*Marquette = Presque Isle in previous reports | |||||||
**Transshipments within Cleveland Harbor | |||||||
Year-To-Date 2020-2025 | |||||||
| Average | ||||||
Port | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020-2024 |
Duluth, MN | 5,821,301 | 6,514,507 | 4,959,927 | 6,517,107 | 5,876,277 | 5,917,978 | 5,937,824 |
Superior, WI | 4,841,424 | 8,761,105 | 8,293,091 | 8,808,529 | 8,158,211 | 6,197,382 | 7,772,472 |
Two Harbors, MN | 9,034,181 | 10,825,752 | 9,683,025 | 10,810,369 | 11,158,402 | 9,595,446 | 10,302,346 |
Silver Bay, MN | 2,792,531 | 4,100,001 | 1,280,618 | 2,163,643 | 3,267,115 | 2,842,214 | 2,720,782 |
Marquette, MI* | 3,400,042 | 4,726,335 | 3,585,807 | 5,162,131 | 5,127,792 | 4,838,288 | 4,400,421 |
Cleveland, OH** | 1,560,604 | 2,438,417 | 1,444,320 | 3,276,770 | 2,918,241 | 2,015,270 | 2,327,670 |
Ashtabula, OH | 716,227 | 28,553 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 148,956 |
Total | 28,166,310 | 37,394,670 | 29,246,788 | 36,738,549 | 36,506,038 | 31,406,578 | 33,610,471 |
Information based on data from knowledgeable sources. However, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Lake Carriers’ Association assumes no legal responsibility for the outcome of decisions or commitments made on the basis of this information. Report represents the views of Lake Carriers’ Association and may not necessarily represent the views of its individual members.