Shipments of coal on the US Great Lakes totaled 3.1 million tons in July, a 58,000-ton increase from June, but a decrease of 25 percent year-on-year, according to the Lake Carriers' Association.
Year-to-date, the coal trade stands at 12.7 million tons, a decrease of 14 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments are nearly 29 percent off the five-year average for the January-July timeframe.