Shipments of iron ore, coal and stone from U.S. and Canadian Great Lakes ports totaled 17,922,092 net tons in May, the highest monthly total for these commodities in recent memory.
The Lakes stone trade totaled 5.2 million tons in May, a new monthly record for that cargo. Strong demand from Canadian and American utilities pushed the coal trade to 4.6 million tons, an increase of 17.2 percent compared to last year. Iron ore cargos for the steel industry totaled 8.1 million tons, an increase of 3.2 percent.
For the season, shipments of the "Big 3" cargos stand at 38.2 million tons, an increase of 17.3 percent. The stone trade has increased 22 percent to 9.7 million tons. The coal trade has increased 25.3 percent to 10.1 million tons. Iron ore cargos stand at 18.4 million tons, an increase of 11 percent.
| Commodity | May 1998 | May 1997 | Season to Date 1998 |
Season to Date 1997 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRON ORE | ||||
| Great Lakes | 6,613,874 | 6,690,226 | 15,335,973 | 14,042,590 |
| Eastern Canada | 1,456,259 | 1,130,761 | 3,095,032 | 2,540,814 |
| Total - Iron Ore | 8,070,133 | 7,820,987 | 18,431,004 | 16,583,404 |
| COAL | ||||
| Lake Erie | 2,591,865 | 2,215,406 | 5,663,022 | 4,516,815 |
| Lake Michigan | 206,589 | 197,005 | 417,733 | 338,054 |
| Lake Superior - U.S. | 1,719,531 | 1,392,578 | 3,760,173 | 2,877,037 |
| Lake Superior - Canada | 127,115 | 156,941 | 250,445 | 323,783 |
| Total - Coal | 4,645,100 | 3,961,930 | 10,091,373 | 8,055,689 |
| LIMESTONE, GYPSUM | ||||
| U.S. Ports | 4,456,814 | 3,974,875 | 8,246,459 | 6,769,604 |
| Canadian Ports | 750,045 | 880,563 | 1,399,610 | 1,138,655 |
| Total - Stone | 5,206,859 | 4,855,438 | 9,646,069 | 7,908,259 |
| Total All Commodities | 17,922,092 | 16,638,355 | 38,168,446 | 32,547,352 |
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.