Great Lakes iron ore shipments drop in July

Iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway totaled 6.6 million tons in July, a year-over-year decline of 9 percent.    Iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway dropped 9 percent year-over-year in July to 6.6 million tons, according to the Lakes Carriers’ Association, which represents 16 American companies that operate 56 U.S.-flag vessels on the Great Lakes.
   Shipments from U.S. ports totaled 5.7 million tons in July, a year-over-year drop of 14 percent. The Port of Cleveland was the only U.S. port which reported more loadings in July compared to July 2014.
   Shipments from Canadian ports totaled 835,000 tons in July, a year-over-year increase of 52 percent.
   Overall, the total iron ore trade on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway stood at 27.7 million tons through July, up 4.5 percent year over year, but down 5.2 percent from the long-term average.