Great Lakes shipment volumes continue sinking throughout the summer

Limestone shipments on the Great Lakes slipped 13.5 percent year-over-year in August to 3.4 million tons.    U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters experienced a 9.5 percent year-over-year decline in transport volumes during July to 9.85 million tons, according to the Lake Carriers’ Association, which represents 14 U.S. companies that operate 56 U.S.-flag vessels on the Great Lakes.
   During July, U.S.-flag freighters on the Great Lakes transported 4.6 million tons of iron ore and 2.9 million tons of limestone, year-over-year declines of 3.4 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Coal volumes carried by the U.S.-flag freighters on the lakes slipped 25 percent from July 2015 to 1.7 million tons.
   Jumping ahead to August, total limestone shipments from all freighters operating on the Great Lakes reached 3.4 million tons, a 13.5 percent year-over-year decline. Loadings from U.S. quarries tumbled 15.5 percent from August 2015 to 2.8 million tons, while shipments from Canadian quarries slipped 3 percent to 600,793 tons.
   Overall, since the start of 2016, 16.5 million tons of limestone has been transported on the Great Lakes, a 7.6 percent decline from the corresponding period in 2015.