The Lake Carriers' Association reported Friday that US-flag Great Lakes freighters carried 11.1 million tons of dry-bulk cargo in July, a 10.9 percent increase from June, and a 5.2 percent jump from July of last year.
Iron ore cargos for the steel industry were up 17 percent year-over-year, however coal shipments were down 11.4 percent. Aggregate and fluxstone for the construction and steel industries slipped 3.8 percent.
Through July US-flag cargos stand at 44.8 million tons, an increase of 3 percent compared to the same point in 2010. Iron ore has increased 9.6 percent, but coal and limestone are down by 5.1 percent and 4.6 percent respectively. Compared to the 5-year average for the first seven months of the year, US-flag cargos are down 2.1 percent.