Great Lakes iron ore shipments jump in June, July

Iron ore shipments increased over 21 percent in U.S. Great Lakes ports in July but had mixed results in Canadian ports, according to the Lake Carriers’ Association.    Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway increased 16 percent in June 2017 and 14.7 percent in July, according to the Lake Carriers’ Association.
   Iron ore shipments totaled 6.7 million tons in June and beat the month’s 5-year average by 8 percent. July’s totals, however, were still behind the month’s five-year average by 2.3 percent.
   Shipments from U.S. Great Lakes ports totaled 6 million tons in June as well as in July, an increase of 15 percent and 21.7 percent, respectively, compared to a year ago.
   Loadings at Canadian terminals in the Seaway totaled 698,000 tons, an increase of nearly 25 percent in June. Canadian terminal loadings in July dropped nearly 40 percent in July, to 391,000 tons.
   Year-to-date, the Great Lakes iron ore trade stands at 30.1 million tons, an increase of 12.4 percent compared to the same point in 2016. Loadings at U.S. ports total 27.5 million tons, an increase of 14.3 percent year-over-year, while shipments from Canadian ports in the St. Lawrence Seaway stand at 2.65 million tons, a decrease of 4 percent, said the Lake Carriers’ Association.