Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway totaled 5.9 million tons in October, an increase of 10.5 percent compared to a year ago, according to a report today from the Lake Carriers’ Association. Shipments also bettered the month’s 5-year average by 6.8 percent.
Shipments from US ports totaled 5.5 million tons in October, an increase of 13.3 percent compared to a year ago. However, loadings at Canadian terminals in the Seaway decreased by 18.2 percent to 395,000 tons.
Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 49.2 million tons, an increase of 13.3 percent compared to the same point in 2016. Year-over-year, loadings at US ports total 45.5 million tons, an increase of 16.3 percent. Shipments from Canadian ports in the St. Lawrence Seaway total 3.7 million tons, a decrease of 13.7 percent.