Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 4.7 million tons in December, a decrease of 3.8 percent compared to a year ago, according to a report today from the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA). Shipments were also below the 5-year average for the month by 7.2 percent.
The year-end total for the iron ore trade stands at 41.2 million tons, a decrease of 22.9 percent compared to 2019. Compared to the trade’s 5-year average, 2020 iron ore loadings were down 21 percent.