Shipments of iron ore, coal and stone from U.S. and Canadian Great Lakes ports set a post recession record in August - 18,211,021 net tons. That total is the highest monthly level of shipments for these commodities since 1981.
Iron ore shipments totaled 8.3 million tons in August, an increase of 5.1 percent compared to a year ago. For the season, iron ore cargos stand at 40.2 million tons, an increase of 2.7 percent.
Coal shipments from Great Lakes ports topped 4.9 million tons in August; for the season, the coal trade stands at 22.2 million tons, an increase of 15.7 percent. Increased demand from a Canadian utility that has shut down some nuclear capacity is a major factor in coal's strong performance.
The Lakes stone trade totaled almost 5 million tons in August, the second-highest level achieved since the recession of the early- and mid-1980s. Since the resumption of stone loadings in March, shipments stand at 22.5 million tons, an increase of 10.6 percent.
| Commodity | August 1997 | August 1996 | Season to Date 1997 |
Season to Date 1996 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRON ORE | ||||
| Great Lakes | 6,965,466 | 6,374,847 | 33,533,515 | 32,117,368 |
| Eastern Canada | 1,350,754 | 1,537,090 | 6,641,291 | 7,011,050 |
| Total - Iron Ore | 8,316,220 | 7,911,938 | 40,174,805 | 39,128,417 |
| COAL | ||||
| Lake Erie | 2,767,135 | 2,261,138 | 12,031,507 | 9,462,725 |
| Lake Michigan | 338,214 | 184,117 | 1,322,783 | 809,779 |
| Lake Superior - U.S. | 1,750,855 | 1,689,295 | 8,302,548 | 7,514,638 |
| Lake Superior - Canada | 61,396 | 187,799 | 517,388 | 898,980 |
| Total - Coal | 4,917,600 | 4,322,349 | 22,174,226 | 18,686,122 |
| LIMESTONE, GYPSUM | ||||
| U.S. Ports | 4,359,141 | 4,246,982 | 19,570,943 | 17,821,729 |
| Canadian Ports | 618,060 | 632,680 | 2,942,242 | 2,526,696 |
| Total - Stone | 4,977,201 | 4,879,662 | 22,513,185 | 20,348,425 |
| Total All Commodities | 18,211,021 | 17,113,949 | 84,862,216 | 78,162,964 |
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 (167,000 tons in 1996).
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.