Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes in September mirrored the crumbling state of America's steel industry, falling 20 percent compared to the same period last year. For the season, the iron ore trade stands at 39.9 million net tons, a decrease of nearly 16 percent compared to the same point in the 2000 navigation season.
Increased coal availability pushed Lake Erie loadings up by more than 500,000 tons in September and produced an overall increase in the Lakes coal trade. For the season, the coal trade is essentially unchanged from last year.
Continued weak demand for fluxstone from the steel industry lead to a another drop in stone shipments in September, nearly 400,000 tons to be exact. Since the resumption of navigation, stone loadings total 25.8 million net tons, a decrease of 5 percent.
| Commodity | September 2001 | September 2000 | Season to Date 2001 | Season to Date 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRON ORE | ||||
| Great Lakes | 4,873,098 | 5,911,293 | 33,233,598 | 39,625,181 |
| Eastern Canada | 747,776 | 1,129,951 | 6,656,892 | 7,761,319 |
| Total - Iron Ore | 5,620,874 | 7,041,244 | 39,890,490 | 47,386,500 |
| COAL | ||||
| Lake Erie | 2,493,644 | 1,936,495 | 13,620,792 | 15,655,888 |
| Lake Michigan | 217,720 | 273,834 | 1,659,369 | 1,476,690 |
| Lake Superior - U.S. | 1,868,306 | 1,788,594 | 12,106,173 | 11,120,421 |
| Lake Superior - Canada | 161,455 | 29,782 | 818,395 | 453,377 |
| Total - Coal | 4,741,125 | 4,028,705 | 28,204,729 | 28,706,376 |
| LIMESTONE, GYPSUM | ||||
| U.S. Ports | 3,486,139 | 3,791,965 | 20,578,429 | 21,992,882 |
| Canadian Ports | 879,112 | 954,668 | 5,228,876 | 5,124,608 |
| Total - Stone | 4,365,251 | 4,746,633 | 25,807,305 | 27,117,490 |
| Total All Commodities | 14,727,250 | 15,816,582 | 93,902,524 | 103,210,366 |
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 or limestone 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.