It is important, however, to understand these comparisons in the proper context. The 2001 navigation season was beset with problems related to domestic steel production. Turn the calendar back to 1997, the last year of full utilization of the nation's steelmaking capacity, and the monthly U.S.-Flag float routinely approached or even topped 14 million tons. Continued reduced demand for iron ore and sluggish orders for aggregate from the construction industry throughout 2002 have kept four U.S.-Flag lakers idle for what now will certainly be the entire season, so the past four months are just the beginning of the voyage back to normalcy.
U.S.-FLAG CARRIAGE
OCTOBER AND SEASON-TO-DATE: 2002 - 2001
(net tons)
Commodity | October 2002 | October 2001 | S-T-D 2002 | S-T-D 2001 |
| Iron Ore | ||||
| Direct Shipments | 4,769,602 | 4,416,929 | 35,272,353 | 35,449,904 |
| Transshipments | 426,195 | 217,243 | 1,545,598 | 2,828,381 |
Total - Iron Ore | 5,195,797 | 4,634,172 | 36,817,951 | 38,278,285 |
| Coal | ||||
| Western | 1,710,732 | 1,437,003 | 10,813,419 | 10,963,769 |
| Eastern | 905,053 | 1,146,015 | 6,242,174 | 6,062,127 |
Total - Coal | 2,615,785 | 2,583,018 | 17,055,593 | 17,025,896 |
| Limestone | 3,378,615 | 3,136,706 | 21,800,936 | 21,961,198 |
| Cement | 394,816 | 459,106 | 3,025,279 | 3,333,705 |
| Salt | 103,149 | 75,098 | 498,999 | 593,644 |
| Sand | 36,505 | 95,730 | 184,359 | 507,761 |
| Grain | 65,421 | 64,915 | 264,151 | 243,661 |
| Totals | 11,790,088 | 11,048,745 | 79,647,268 | 81,944,150 |
In addition to the U.S.-Flag Lakes operators who comprise Lake Carriers' Association, this survey includes Andrie, Inc.
(cement only), Great Lakes Associates (grain), Hannah Marine Corp. (cement only), Pere Marquette Shipping Company and
Upper Lakes Towing Company, Inc. (both various dry-bulk cargos).
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DATE OF PUBLICATION: November 19, 2002
