Great Lakes limestone trade thrives in April

Although Great Lakes limestone loadings from U.S. quarries in April dipped 3.2 percent year-over-year, shipments from Canadian quarries surged 85 percent year-over-year.    A total of 1.95 million net tons of limestone were shipped on the Great Lakes in April, a 7 percent increase from April 2015, according to the Lake Carriers’ Association, which represents 14 American companies that operate 56 U.S.-flag vessels on the Great Lakes.
   Limestone loadings out of U.S. quarries fell 3.2 percent year-over-year in April to 1.55 million net tons. On the flip side, limestone shipments from Canadian quarries jumped 85 percent year-over-year to 394,773 net tons.
   Overall, a total of 2.26 million net tons of limestone have been shipped on the Great Lakes since the start of 2016, a 10.6 percent increase from the corresponding period in 2015.