The Lake Carriers' Association announced Thursday that iron ore shipments on the US Great Lakes from US ports in April were 5.1 million tons-up 9.2 percent year-on-year. Iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes totaled 5.7 million tons in April, an increase of 6.4 percent compared to a year ago.
For the January-April timeframe, shipments from US ports are up 11.7 percent compared to a year ago and 13.7 percent ahead of their five-year average. As for Canadian ports, loadings are 21 percent ahead of last year's pace, but slightly below their five-year average for the first four months of the year.