Coal loadings at Lake Erie ports continued their brisk pace in June, totaling 2.8 million tons, an increase of 18.2 percent compared to the corresponding period last year. For the season, the Lake Erie coal trade is nearly 1.5 million tons ahead of last year's pace. The trade has benefited from a very early start - March 3. Also, Lake Erie has begun its seasonal rise, and water levels, while still below long-term average, are actually a bit higher than a year ago.
Port | June 2000 | June 1999 | Season-To-Date 2000 | Season-To-Date 1999 |
| Toledo | 631,410 | 634,142 | 1,978,454 | 1,966,105 |
| Sandusky | 625,370 | 583,429 | 1,650,492 | 1,732,560 |
| Ashtabula | 763,972 | 615,395 | 2,801,013 | 1,887,966 |
| Conneaut | 771,233 | 527,899 | 2,291,199 | 1,691,461 |
Total | 2,791,985 | 2,360,865 | 8,721,158 | 7,278,092 |