According to a report from the Lake Carriers' Association, shipments of iron ore on the US Great Lakes totaled 5.5 million tons in November, an increase of 7 percent compared to a year ago. The November ore float was also 4.1 percent ahead of the month's 5-year average, but trailed October by 7.7 percent.
Shipments from US ports totaled 4.9 million tons, an increase of almost 10 percent compared to a year ago. The November total included 366,000 tons shipped to Québec City for loading into oceangoing vessels and delivery overseas. Year-to-date overseas exports from US Great Lakes ports total 2,883,000 tons. Through November of last year, overseas exports from US ports totaled 3,544,000 tons.
Shipments from Canadian ports to Great Lakes destinations totaled 619,000 tons in November, a decrease of 9.3 percent compared to a year ago.
Year-to-date, the Lakes iron ore trade stands at 53.2 million tons, a decrease of 3.6 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings are 2.1 percent below the long-term average for the January-November timeframe.