Shipments of iron ore, coal and stone from U.S. and Canadian Great Lakes ports totaled 17.5 million tons in July, a slight increase over the corresponding period last year. Iron ore cargos increased 8.5 percent to 8.2 million tons, but for reasons noted in the U.S.-Flag report for July, coal and stone loadings decreased slightly.
Since the resumption of the dry-bulk trades in early March, shipments of the "Big 3" cargos stand at 72.7 million tons, an increase of 9.4 percent. The Lakes ore trade has increased 9.6 percent to 34.6 million tons. Coal loadings have increased 10.6 percent to 19.2 million tons. The stone trade stands at 18.9 million tons, an increase of 7.9 percent.
| Commodity | July 1998 | July 1997 | Season to Date 1998 |
Season to Date 1997 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRON ORE | ||||
| Great Lakes | 6,853,202 | 6,296,040 | 28,632,197 | 26,526,686 |
| Eastern Canada | 1,369,539 | 1,280,881 | 5,933,228 | 5,009,217 |
| Total - Iron Ore | 8,222,741 | 7,576,921 | 34,565,425 | 31,535,903 |
| COAL | ||||
| Lake Erie | 2,322,500 | 2,559,957 | 10,300,390 | 9,279,304 |
| Lake Michigan | 298,924 | 219,359 | 1,068,437 | 984,570 |
| Lake Superior - U.S. | 1,915,979 | 1,844,767 | 7,412,628 | 6,551,693 |
| Lake Superior - Canada | 32,541 | 70,114 | 405,882 | 530,516 |
| Total - Coal | 4,569,944 | 4,694,197 | 19,187,337 | 17,346,083 |
| LIMESTONE, GYPSUM | ||||
| U.S. Ports | 4,009,738 | 4,362,130 | 16,107,298 | 15,234,903 |
| Canadian Ports | 703,949 | 618,024 | 2,854,975 | 2,324,182 |
| Total - Stone | 4,713,687 | 4,980,154 | 18,953,273 | 17,559,085 |
| Total All Commodities | 17,506,372 | 17,521,272 | 72,706,035 | 66,441,071 |
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.