Iron ore cargos carried in U.S.-Flag lakers plummeted nearly 32 percent in December, largely because LTV Steel ceased operations and thus required no raw materials. Problems related to unfair trade abound in the American steel industry, so for the season, the U.S.-Flag ore float totals only 45.8 million tons, a decrease of 20 percent compared to December 2000.
U.S.-Flag coal cargos were in total down 14.8 percent in December. The drop came in western coal and was not unexpected. With demand for iron ore so reduced, some vessels were switched to that trade, so season commitments were completed early. For the season, U.S.-Flag coal cargos stand at 21.2 million tons, an increase of 4.2 percent.
Thanks to mild weather that kept the construction industry active, stone cargos carried in U.S. bottoms in December increased 28.4 percent to 1.8 million net tons. The season-to-date total, 27.3 million tons, represents a decrease of 2.1 percent.
While the U.S.-Flag fleet will move a significant amount of iron ore in January, the stone and coal trades are basically finished. Some cement will move in January, but the salt, sand and grain trades should be complete.
U.S.-FLAG CARRIAGE
DECEMBER AND SEASON-TO-DATE: 2001 - 2000
(net tons)
Commodity | December 2001 | December 2000 | S-T-D 2001 | S-T-D 2000 |
| Iron Ore - Direct Shipments | 3,280,816 | 4,543,975 | 42,760,179 | 52,173,171 |
| Iron Ore - Transshipments | 0 | 264,585 | 3,045,729 | 5,276,634 |
Total - Iron Ore | 3,280,816 | 4,808,560 | 45,805,908 | 57,449,805 |
| Coal - Western | 874,234 | 1,227,971 | 13,350,523 | 12,588,516 |
| Coal - Eastern | 809,252 | 749,933 | 7,843,891 | 7,755,110 |
Total - Coal | 1,683,486 | 1,977,904 | 21,194,414 | 20,343,626 |
| Limestone and Gypsum | 1,845,094 | 1,436,298 | 27,334,146 | 27,933,432 |
| Cement | 348,127 | 249,690 | 4,193,202 | 4,029,962 |
| Salt | 123,092 | 25,669 | 876,392 | 838,017 |
| Sand | 31,819 | 15,339 | 625,094 | 427,070 |
| Grain | 58,280 | 64,542 | 350,719 | 351,398 |
| Totals | 7,370,714 | 8,578,002 | 100,379,875 | 111,373,310 |
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
.