According to a report from the Lake Carriers' Association, shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 6 million tons in June, a decrease of 6 percent compared to May, and a drop of 7 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings also trailed the month's long-term average by 4.4 percent.
Shipments from US ports totaled 5.3 million tons, a decrease of 6.7 percent compared to a year ago. The June total included 305,000 tons shipped to Québec City for loading into oceangoing vessels and delivery overseas. Year-to-date overseas exports total 1,057,000 tons.
Shipments from Canadian ports to Great Lakes destinations totaled 753,000 tons, a decrease of 9.5 percent compared to a year ago.
Year-to-date, the Great Lakes ore trade stands at 23.2 million tons, a decrease of 8.1 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings are 3.4 percent below the long-term average for the first half of the year.