The Lake Carriers' Association reported Friday that US-flag Great Lakes freighters carried 9.8 million tons of dry-bulk cargo in May, representing a 19 percent increase over April, and 3.1 percent better than in May 2011.
Iron ore cargos for the steel industry increased 5.2 percent compared to a year ago. Aggregate and fluxstone for construction and steelmaking rose 12.4 percent. Coal for power generation and steel production dipped 8.7 percent.
Through May, US-flag cargos stand at 24.4 million tons--an increase of 3.4 percent compared to the same point in 2011, and 5.7 percent ahead of the five-year average for the first five months of the year. Iron ore and limestone have registered noticeable increases over a year ago, but coal has decreased by 825,000 tons.