U.S.-flag Great Lakes shipping rises 7% in August

According to recent data from the Lake Carriers Association, U.S.-flagged shipments in August 2017 bettered the month’s long-term average by about 60,000 tons.    U.S.-flagged freighters moved 10.1 million tons of cargo on the Great Lakes last month, a 7 percent increase compared to August 2016, and shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled nearly 4 million tons in August, an increase of 18.6 percent compared to a year ago, according to data from the organization representing Great Lakes vessel operators.
   According to data from the Lake Carriers Association (LCA), which represents 13 American companies that operate 49 U.S.-flag vessels on the Great Lakes, the August volumes bettered the month’s long-term average by about 60,000 tons.
   Iron ore cargoes for steelmaking reportedly totaled 4.7 million tons last month, an increase of 4.7 percent compared to a year ago, while coal loadings neared 1.6 million tons, an increase of 8.5 percent, statistics show. Limestone cargoes increased about 10 percent to 3.2 million tons.
   Year-over-year U.S.-flag cargoes total 50.4 million tons, a jump of 1.3 percent over the same point in 2016, according to the Lake Carriers Association, while iron ore shipments rose six percent to 27.6 million tons.
   Coal cargoes are virtually unchanged, however, at 7.5 million tons. The 12.6 million tons of aggregate, fluxstone and scrubber stone shipped represent a decrease of 5.8 percent, data show.
   Limestone shipments on the Great Lakes totaled 3,991,471 tons in August, an increase of 18.6 percent compared to a year ago, LCA statistics show. August’s loadings were also nearly 12 percent ahead of the month’s five-year average.
   Loadings from U.S. quarries jumped up 21.4 percent compared to a year ago, to a total of 3.35 million tons, while shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 633,407 tons, a slight increase over August 2016.
   Year-to-date the Lakes limestone trade stands at 16.6 million tons, an increase of 0.7 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings out of Michigan and Ohio quarries total 13.6 million tons, a 3.4 percent rise. Shipments from Ontario quarries total 2.98 million tons, a decrease of 10 percent, according to Lake Carriers Association data.