U.S.-Flag Great Lakes fleets carried 13.2 million tons of dry- and liquid bulk cargo in June, an increase of 1.1 percent compared to the corresponding period last year. The increase would have been greater, but a 1,000-footer had to be idled for 10 days to repair ice-related damage. This ship could have carried an additional 120,000 tons of cargo during that period.
With two straight months of increases, U.S.-Flag carriers are slowly narrowing the gap between last year's season-to-date totals. The extreme ice conditions this spring significantly slowed the resumption of navigation, but the 37.7 million tons of cargo carried by the U.S.-Flag Lakes fleet is now just 5.7 percent behind last year's pace.
Iron ore cargos carried in U.S. bottoms totaled 6.6 million tons in June, an increase of 3.4 percent compared to the same period last year. For the season, the U.S.-Flag ore float stands at 20.1 million tons, a decrease of 2.6 percent.
In total, the June coal float for U.S.-Flag lakers was essentially unchanged from a year ago. For the season, coal loadings into U.S.-Flag lakers stand at 6.2 million tons, a decrease of 10.8 percent. The decrease comes in the Western coal trade, and is largely attributable to early season ice delays.
Stone loadings into U.S. bottoms in June totaled 3.2 million tons, a decrease of 5.2 percent. The decrease reflects a temporary shortage of fluxstone at a major quarry, not any reduced demand for stone. Since the resumption of navigation, U.S.-Flag stone cargos stand at 8.2 million tons, a decrease of 9.8 percent.
| Commodity | June 1996 |
June 1995 |
Season to Date 1996 |
Season to Date 1995 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Ore | 6,642,148 | 6,421,422 | 20,123,563 | 20,661,857 |
| Coal - Western | 1,381,431 | 1,525,512 | 3,706,208 | 4,487,521 |
| Coal, Coke - Eastern | 1,028,869 | 925,374 | 2,546,320 | 2,525,079 |
| Total - Coal | 2,410,300 | 2,450,886 | 6,252,528 | 7,012,600 |
| Limestone, Gypsum | 3,158,887 | 3,331,434 | 8,249,973 | 9,145,415 |
| Cement | 416,234 | 378,285 | 1,198,927 | 1,215,795 |
| Salt | 165,677 | 46,431 | 431,223 | 248,555 |
| Sand | 46,434 | 29,556 | 60,308 | 83,308 |
| Grain | 64,309 | 151,837 | 155,635 | 399,312 |
| Liquid Bulk | 300,380 | 243,522 | 1,186,899 | 1,171,980 |
| Totals - All Commodities | 13,204,369 | 13,053,373 | 37,659,056 | 39,938,822 |
| Liquid Bulk - Barrels | 2,030,567 | 1,646,206 | 8,023,446 | 7,922,582 |
Notes: The reports for March, April and May were revised on July 29, 1996. To veiw these reports, please visit Monthly Tonnage Reports.
Given the limited number of gypsum producers (two), that commodity must be combined with limestone to insure confidentiality. Since tankers operate year-round, that trade is reported on a calendar-year basis. The 1995 totals include carriage by two non-members of Lake Carriers' Association - Kinsman Lines, Inc., [grain] and Hannah Marine Corporation [liquid bulk]. Starting with 1996, this survey also includes Upper Lakes Towing (one self-unloading tug/barge unit in various dry-bulk trades), Upper Lakes Barge (one self- unloading tug/barge unit in various dry-bulk trades) and Merce Transportation (cement).