Iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes fall 15 percent in July

Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway totaled 5.6 million tons in July, a decrease of 15 percent compared to a year ago according to a report today from the Lake Carriers’ Association.  Shipments also trailed the month’s 5-year average by more than 18 percent.

Shipments from US ports totaled 4.95 million tons in July, a decrease of nearly 14 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings at Canadian terminals dipped even more, by 23 percent, to 643,000 tons.

Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 26.8 million tons, a decrease of 3 percent compared to the same point in 2015.  Year-over-year, loadings at US ports are down by 113,000 tons, but shipments from Canadian ports in the St. Lawrence Seaway have slipped even more, 21 percent, or 743,000 tons.