Shipments of limestone and gypsum on the Great Lakes in May totaled 4,728,097 net tons, an increase of 3.2 percent or roughly 150,000 tons compared to the corresponding period last year. While the increase is not of epic proportions, any additional cargo is important during this period of low water levels. As noted in LCA's 1999 Annual Report (released in May), the impacts of low water levels are not confined to the iron ore and coal trades. Declining water levels reduced the average cargo loaded at Stoneport, one of the largest stone-loading ports on the Great Lakes, by 1,765 n.t. in 1999.
Since the resumption of the stone trade in March, loadings stand at 8,231,371 n.t., an increase of 1.9 percent.
May 2000 | May 1999 | Season-To-Date 2000 | Season-To-Date 1999 | |
| U.S. Ports | 3,802,059 | 3,749,262 | 6,665,282 | 6,696,394 |
| Canadian Ports | 926,038 | 831,933 | 1,566,089 | 1,384,106 |
Total | 4,728,097 | 4,581,195 | 8,231,371 | 8,080,500 |