U.S.-Flag Lakes Carriage

Responding to continued strong demand for iron ore and other cargos, the U.S.-flag Great Lakes fleet moved 3.3 million net tons of cargo in March, more than triple the volume of a year ago. While comparisons with March 2003 are problematic given the extreme ice conditions then present, this March still represents an increase of nearly 35 percent over the month's 5-year average.

For the year, U.S.-flag carriage stands at 8 million net tons, more than double the total recorded a year ago and an increase of 46 percent compared to the 5-year average for the January-March timeframe.

U.S.-Flag Dry-Bulk Carriage on the Great Lakes
March 2000-2004 and 5-Year Average
(net tons)
	March	March	March	March	March	5-Year
Commodity	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	Average
Iron Ore
Direct Shipments	1,843,880	1,398,562	870,959	684,055	1,872,476	1,333,986
Transshipments	460,118	488,458	0	212,618	349,561	302,151
Total - Iron Ore	2,303,998	1,887,020	870,959	896,673	2,222,037	1,636,137
Coal
Lake Superior	474,015	331,620	297,396	53,577	409,459	313,213
Lake Michigan	68,962	77,939	39,982	0	94,285	56,234
Lake Erie	117,970	142,278	233,649	0	72,952	113,370
Total - Coal	660,947	551,837	571,027	53,577	576,696	482,817
Limestone	290,327	76,867	176,218	0	365,742	181,831
Cement	221,755	181,037	148,009	100,912	127,691	155,881
Salt	0	43,233	12,158	0	12,820	13,642
Sand	0	0	0	0	0	0
Grain	0	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	3,477,027	2,739,994	1,778,371	1,051,162	3,304,986	2,470,308

U.S.-Flag Carriage Year-To-Date 2000-2004 and 5-Year Average
(net tons)
						5-Year
Commodity	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	Average
Iron Ore
Direct Shipments	4,257,223	2,468,354	2,486,374	2,896,233	5,411,911	3,504,019
Transshipments	959,892	537,461	0	218,618	636,326	470,459
Total - Iron Ore	5,217,115	3,005,815	2,486,374	3,114,851	6,048,237	3,974,478
Coal
Lake Superior	655,181	621,357	297,396	73,076	708,276	471,057
Lake Michigan	132,657	158,945	135,741	74,184	276,479	155,601
Lake Erie	422,614	536,172	327,501	44,522	244,409	315,044
Total - Coal	1,210,452	1,316,474	760,638	191,782	1,229,164	941,702
Limestone	315,417	76,867	176,218	24,245	446,368	207,823
Cement	374,068	305,792	349,602	219,466	262,381	302,262
Salt	0	43,233	12,158	50,212	24,766	26,074
Sand	0	0	0	0	0	0
Grain	0	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	7,117,052	4,748,181	3,784,990	3,600,556	8,010,916	5,452,339