Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway totaled 6 million tons in May, a decrease of 9 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 7 percent.
Shipments from US ports totaled 5.5 million tons in May, a decrease of 8 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings at Canadian terminals dipped by 20 percent to 556,000 tons.
Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 15.4 million tons, an increase of 4 percent. Loadings at US ports are up nearly 8 percent, but shipments from Canadian ports in the St. Lawrence Seaway are down 21 percent.