Shipments of iron ore, coal and stone from U.S. and Canadian Great Lakes ports totaled 16.5 million net tons in September, an increase of 3.6 percent compared to last year. Iron ore loadings registered the strongest increase - 9.2 percent. Stone loadings were essentially unchanged, but the coal trade decreased 2.9 percent.
Through September, shipments of the major dry-bulk commodities stand at 94.6 million tons, a decrease of 1.5 percent. Great Lakes shipping has nearly overcome the early-season ice delays, and should weather conditions cooperate during the remaining months of navigation, the 1996 float should compare favorably with last year.
| Commodity | September 1996 | September 1995 | Season to Date 1996 |
Season to Date 1995 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRON ORE | ||||
| Great Lakes | 6,363,575 | 5,972,252 | 38,538,028 | 39,015,185 |
| Eastern Canada | 1,620,138 | 1,334,775 | 8,692,227 | 8,269,115 |
| Total - Iron Ore | 7,983,713 | 7,307,027 | 47,230,256 | 47,284,300 |
| COAL | ||||
| Lake Erie | 2,220,602 | 2,255,262 | 11,522,327 | 11,698,283 |
| Lake Michigan | 125,896 | 96,637 | 935,675 | 765,310 |
| Lake Superior - U.S. | 1,698,992 | 1,651,847 | 9,213,630 | 9,492,036 |
| Lake Superior - Canada | 162,062 | 328,998 | 1,061,042 | 1,496,911 |
| Total - Coal | 4,207,552 | 4,332,744 | 22,732,674 | 23,452,540 |
| LIMESTONE, GYPSUM | ||||
| U.S. Ports | 3,756,512 | 3,817,767 | 21,578,241 | 22,849,370 |
| Canadian Ports | 527,272 | 445,297 | 3,053,968 | 2,460,172 |
| Total - Stone | 4,283,784 | 4,263,064 | 24,632,209 | 25,309,542 |
| Total All Commodities | 16,475,049 | 15,902,835 | 94,595,139 | 96,046,382 |
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 (150,000 tons in 1995).
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.