With steel production down more than 11 percent this year, it is little surprise that the Great Lakes iron ore trade in U.S.-Flag bottoms got off to a slow start. Direct shipments of iron ore (those are cargos delivered directly to steel mills or to docks where they are loaded into trains for final delivery) totaled 1.4 million tons, a decrease of 24.1 percent compared to the corresponding period last year. Iron ore transshipments (the Lorain/Cleveland shuttle) were essentially unchanged.
Coal loadings in U.S. hulls were down by 16.5 percent in March and stone cargos numbered but a few. The only bright spot was an early resumption of the salt trade in U.S.-Flag vessels.
Commodity | March 2001 | March 2000 | S-T-D 2001 | S-T-D 2000 |
| Iron Ore - Direct Shipments | 1,398,562 | 1,843,880 | 1,398,562 | 1,843,880 |
| Iron Ore - Transshipments | 488,458 | 460,118 | 537,461 | 490,362 |
Total - Iron Ore | 1,887,020 | 2,303,998 | 1,936,023 | 2,334,242 |
| Coal - Western | 331,620 | 474,015 | 331,620 | 474,015 |
| Coal - Eastern | 220,217 | 186,932 | 220,217 | 186,932 |
Total - Coal | 551,837 | 660,947 | 551,837 | 660,947 |
| Limestone and Gypsum | 76,867 | 290,327 | 76,867 | 290,327 |
| Cement | 181,037 | 221,755 | 210,212 | 259,256 |
| Salt | 43,233 | 0 | 43,233 | 0 |
| Sand | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Grain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 2,739,994 | 3,477,027 | 2,818,172 | 3,544,772 |
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.
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