The Laker Carriers' Association (LCA) reported Tuesday that shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 61.6 million tons in 2012, a slight improvement over 2011. The increase, 245,000 tons, is equal to about four cargos in a 1,000-foot-long vessel operating at current drafts, which are significantly reduced by the dredging crisis and falling water levels.
Shipments from US ports totaled 53.7 million tons, a decrease of 2.5 percent compared to 2011. Included in that total were 3.7 million tons transshipped to Québec City for loading into oceangoing vessels. Loadings at Canadian ports in the St. Lawrence Seaway totaled 7.9 million tons, an increase of 25.3 percent.
The first loads of 2013 make clear the dredging crisis and record low water levels will challenge the industry this year. The biggest cargos were just slightly over 60,000 tons.
Meanwhile, shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 27,145,219 tons in 2012, a decrease of 3.6 percent compared to 2011. The trade was 7 percent below its five-year average. Shipments from US ports fell 2.4 percent when compared to 2011, and slightly more--4.1 percent--when compared to their five-year average. Loadings at Canadian quarries decreased 9 percent compared to 2011, and slipped almost 19 percent compared to their five-year average.