Gap Continues To Widen In August
U.S.-Flag Fleet Again Moves Less Cargo Than A Year Ago

Reduced demand for domestically-made steel and uneven demand for stone from the construction industry again produced a shortfall in U.S.-Flag carriage on the Great Lakes in August. Cargo movement in U.S. bottoms totaled 12,761,930 net tons, a decrease of 8.3 percent. The season-long slump has now left a gap of nearly 6.2 million tons between the end-of-August totals in 1999 and 1998.

 

Steel mill-bound iron ore cargos slipped below 6 million tons in August as several ore carriers were withdrawn from service. For the season, the U.S.-Flag ore float stands at 33.2 million tons, a decrease of 10.9 percent.

 

Thanks to a record month at Superior Midwest Energy Terminal, coal loadings in U.S.-Flag lakers increased slightly in August, but the season-to-date total remains slightly behind last year's pace.

 

The steel- and construction-related slump in stone loadings showed no signs of ending in August; the month's total represents a decrease of 6.2 percent compared to the corresponding period last year. Since the resumption of stone loadings in late March, U.S.-Flag cargos have declined by 11.7 percent.

 

The U.S.-Flag Lakes fleet had 62 of its 69 vessels in service on August 1, but as noted several ore carriers entered lay-up during the month. No firm sail dates have been established for those vessels (ELTON HOYT 2ND, ROGER BLOUGH and ARTHUR M. ANDERSON).

 

 

U.S.-FLAG CARRIAGE
AUGUST AND SEASON-TO-DATE: 1999-1998
(net tons)

(a) Includes Lorain/Cleveland shuttle.

ggn@lcaships.com