Despite solid performances by the stone and coal trades, shipments of the leading dry-bulk commodities from U.S. and Canadian Great Lakes ports fell nearly 4 percent in September to 16.6 million net tons. As with U.S.-Flag carriage in September, this total represents the second month in a row in which cargo volume fell short of the same period last year.
The Lakes iron ore trade accounted for the decline. With steel imports into the United States at historic highs, iron ore shipments slumped more than 10 percent to just 7.1 million tons. While the season-to-date total still represents an increase of 2.7 percent, a continued avalanche of dumped steel could whittle away that increase by season's end, and in fact, could hasten the close of navigation.
Driven by strong demand from a Canadian utility that is increasing its reliance on fossil fuels, coal loadings increased 4 percent in September to 4.6 million tons. Since the resumption of the coal trade in mid-March, shipments stand at 28.6 million tons, an increase of 7.3 percent
A booming construction industry in the Great Lakes basin boosted the September stone trade 3.7 percent to 4,859,811 tons; the season-to-date total of 28.8 million tons represents an increase of 5.8 percent. Should the stone trade continue at this pace, the 1998 season-end total will represent the fifth year in a row in which stone has set a modern-day record.
| Commodity | September 1998 | September 1997 | Season to Date 1998 |
Season to Date 1997 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRON ORE | ||||
| Great Lakes | 5,858,264 | 6,659,299 | 40,980,771 | 40,192,814 |
| Eastern Canada | 1,290,903 | 1,325,524 | 8,562,294 | 7,966,815 |
| Total - Iron Ore | 7,149,167 | 7,984,824 | 49,543,064 | 48,159,629 |
| COAL | ||||
| Lake Erie | 2,611,426 | 2,267,583 | 15,560,722 | 14,299,090 |
| Lake Michigan | 242,203 | 445,960 | 1,602,130 | 1,768,743 |
| Lake Superior - U.S. | 1,712,832 | 1,538,540 | 10,781,648 | 9,841,088 |
| Lake Superior - Canada | 63,649 | 198,890 | 627,178 | 716,278 |
| Total - Coal | 4,630,110 | 4,450,973 | 28,571,678 | 26,625,199 |
| LIMESTONE, GYPSUM | ||||
| U.S. Ports | 4,253,654 | 4,153,293 | 24,623,182 | 23,724,236 |
| Canadian Ports | 606,157 | 532,871 | 4,155,813 | 3,475,113 |
| Total - Stone | 4,859,811 | 4,686,164 | 28,778,995 | 27,199,349 |
| Total All Commodities | 16,639,088 | 17,121,961 | 106,893,737 | 101,984,177 |
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.