Iron ore cargos loaded into U.S. bottoms on the Great Lakes in October plunged a stunning 25 percent compared to the corresponding period last year. With America's steel industry fighting for its very existence, the season-to-date iron ore total for U.S.-Flag lakers represents a decrease of nearly 20 percent compared to 2000's end-of-October tally.
The October coal float - 2.6 million tons - represents a slight increase and in part reflects better availability of eastern coal. Stone loadings, so dependent on steel's need for fluxstone, continued their season-long slump. The 3.2 million tons loaded in October represent a decrease of 8.5 percent. For the season, U.S.-Flag stone cargos total 22.1 million tons, a decrease of 5.1 percent.
U.S.-FLAG CARRIAGE
OCTOBER AND SEASON-TO-DATE: 2001 - 2000
(net tons)
Commodity | October 2001 | October 2000 | S-T-D 2001 | S-T-D 2000 |
| Iron Ore - Direct Shipments | 4,416,929 | 5,676,342 | 35,449,904 | 42,593,019 |
| Iron Ore - Transshipments | 217,243 | 495,022 | 2,779,378 | 4,580,163 |
Total - Iron Ore | 4,634,172 | 6,171,364 | 38,229,282 | 47,173,182 |
| Coal - Western | 1,437,003 | 1,225,783 | 10,963,769 | 10,008,767 |
| Coal - Eastern | 1,146,015 | 1,052,925 | 6,062,127 | 6,174,631 |
Total - Coal | 2,583,018 | 2,278,708 | 17,025,896 | 16,183,398 |
| Limestone and Gypsum | 3,189,716 | 3,484,795 | 22,138,793 | 23,343,131 |
| Cement | 459,106 | 485,339 | 3,484,288 | 3,423,055 |
| Salt | 75,098 | 86,765 | 593,644 | 812,348 |
| Sand | 95,730 | 135,073 | 507,761 | 356,179 |
| Grain | 64,915 | 62,492 | 243,661 | 224,823 |
| Totals | 11,101,755 | 12,704,536 | 82,223,325 | 91,516,116 |
In addition to the 12 U.S.-Flag Lakes operators who comprise Lake Carriers' Association, this survey includes Andrie, Inc. (cement only), Great Lakes Associates (grain) and Upper Lakes Towing Company, Inc. (various dry-bulk cargos). Pere Marquette Shipping Company also participates in this survey, but has yet to resume operations this season.
For more information contact Glen Nekvasil, Vice President - Corporation Communications (phone: 216-861-0592/e-mail:
ggn@lcaships.com
.