Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 6.4 million tons in May, an increase of 15.1 percent compared to April, but a decrease of 6.6 percent compared to a year ago, according to the Lake Carriers' Association. Loadings also trailed the month's long-term average by 4.8 percent.
Shipments from US ports totaled 5.8 million tons, a decrease of 2.9 percent compared to a year ago. The total in May included 380,000 tons shipped to Québec City for loading into oceangoing vessels and delivery overseas.
Shipments from Canadian ports totaled 556,000 tons, a decrease of 33.5 percent compared to a year ago.
Year-to-date, iron ore trade on the Great Lakes stands at 17.2 million tons, a decrease of 8.6 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings are 3.1 percent below the long-term average for the January-May timeframe.