Slumping Canadian Orders
Hamper Lakes Coal Trade
Coal shipments on the Great Lakes totaled 4,463,995 net tons in September, a decrease of 5.8 percent compared to the corresponding period last year. The decrease is directly related to lower demand for Lake Erie coal from Canadian utilities. Docks in Toledo, Sandusky, Ashtabula and Conneaut saw their September shipments slip nearly 21 percent because of swollen coal stockpiles at Canadian utilities.
On a season-to-date basis, the Lakes coal trade through September is virtually unchanged from the same point in the 2001 navigation season. However, while the bottom line is basically on par with last year, shipments of western coal have increased by 4.6 percent, but loadings at Lake Erie ports are down by 4.9 percent.
Great Lakes Coal Trade
September 2002
(Net Tons)
Port |
September 2002 |
September 2001 |
Season-To-Date 2002 |
Season-To-Date 2001 |
| Superior | 1,978,241 | 1,868,306 | 12,303,298 | 12,107,173 |
| Thunder Bay | 254,996 | 161,455 | 1,316,387 | 912,209 |
|
Total - Western Coal |
2,233,237 | 2,029,761 | 13,619,685 | 13,019,382 |
| South Chicago | 251,570 | 217,720 | 1,655,587 | 1,657,682 |
| Toledo | 392,301 | 565,451 | 2,922,036 | 3,135,602 |
| Sandusky | 391,038 | 499,785 | 3,295,799 | 2,750,348 |
| Ashtabula | 515,448 | 682,775 | 3,147,030 | 3,784,449 |
| Conneaut | 680,401 | 745,633 | 3,582,699 | 3,947,578 |
|
Total - Lake Erie |
1,979,188 | 2,493,644 | 12,947,564 | 13,617,977 |
| Total - All Ports | 4,463,995 | 4,741,125 | 28,222,836 | 28,295,041 |
Date of Publication: 10/11/02
