Great Lakes limestone trade down 23 percent in April

Loadings trailed the month’s five-year average by even more — 33.3 percent.

The coldest April since 1997 put a chill on the Great Lakes limestone trade, according to the Lake Carriers’ Association, which said shipments totaled just 1,254,226 net tons, a decrease of 23 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings trailed the month’s five-year average by even more — 33.3 percent.
Loadings at U.S. ports totaled 1.1 million tons, a decrease of 19 percent. Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 177,000 tons, a decrease of nearly 41 percent, the association said.
Year-to-date, the limestone trade stands at 1.5 million tons, a decrease of 12.8 percent. Shipments from U.S. ports total 1.3 million tons, a decrease of 7 percent, according to the Lake Carriers’ data. The year-to-date total for U.S. ports includes 17,664 tons loaded in February and 218,452 tons shipped in March.

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