Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 5.8 million tons in October, an increase of 5.7 percent compared to a year ago, according to a report today from the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA). Shipments also outpaced the month’s 5-year average by nearly 9 percent.
Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 44.7 million tons, a decrease of 1.8 percent compared to the same point in 2017. The shortfall has been decreasing over the course of the shipping season, the LCA report said.
Through October, iron ore loadings are 7.2 percent ahead of their 5-year average for the January-October timeframe.