Shipments of iron ore, coal and stone from U.S. and Canadian Great Lakes ports totaled 15.9 million net tons in April, an increase of 16.1 percent compared to a year ago. For the season, shipments of these commodities stand at 20.2 million tons, an increase of 27.3 percent.
While demand for cargo is driving these totals, the system obviously benefited from the mild spring. The stone trade was in full swing weeks ahead of schedule. Vessels in the ore trade were not delayed by ice as is normally the case until mid April or so.
| Commodity | April 1998 | April 1997 | Season to Date 1998 |
Season to Date 1997 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRON ORE | ||||
| Great Lakes | 6,270,740 | 5,761,058 | 8,722,099 | 7,352,364 |
| Eastern Canada | 1,419,662 | 1,331,169 | 1,638,773 | 1,410,053 |
| Total - Iron Ore | 7,690,402 | 7,092,228 | 10,360,871 | 8,762,417 |
| COAL | ||||
| Lake Erie | 2,322,418 | 2,122,876 | 3,071,157 | 2,301,409 |
| Lake Michigan | 187,421 | 103,966 | 211,144 | 141,049 |
| Lake Superior - U.S. | 1,634,137 | 1,173,614 | 2,040,642 | 1,484,459 |
| Lake Superior - Canada | 123,330 | 166,842 | 123,330 | 166,842 |
| Total - Coal | 4,267,306 | 3,567,298 | 5,446,273 | 4,093,759 |
| LIMESTONE, GYPSUM | ||||
| U.S. Ports | 3,336,353 | 2,775,860 | 3,789,645 | 2,794,729 |
| Canadian Ports | 604,967 | 258,092 | 649,565 | 258,092 |
| Total - Stone | 3,941,320 | 3,033,952 | 4,439,210 | 3,052,821 |
| Total All Commodities | 15,899,028 | 13,693,478 | 20,246,354 | 15,908,997 |
Note: The above totals are carried almost exclusively by U.S.-Flag and Canadian-Flag lakers. Third-Flag vessels (i.e., salties) occasionally load coal for export overseas.
The ports reporting cargo movement are as follows:
Iron Ore: Minnesota - Duluth, Two Harbors, Silver Bay and Taconite Harbor; Wisconsin - Superior; Michigan - Marquette and Escanaba.
Coal: Ohio - Toledo, Sandusky, Ashtabula and Conneaut; Illinois - South Chicago; Wisconsin - Superior; Ontario - Thunder Bay.
Limestone and Gypsum: Michigan - Calcite, Cedarville, Presque Isle, Port Inland, Drummond Island, Alabaster and Port Gypsum; Ohio - Marblehead; Ontario - Manitoulin Island, Smelter Bay, Bruce Mines and Port Colbourne.