U.S.-flag October laker volumes up 8.5%

U.S.-flag October laker volumes up 8.5%    U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters carried 9.48 million net tons of cargo in October, 8.5 percent more than in October 2009, but 11.4 percent below the five-year average for October.
   By commodity, iron ore in October was up 34 percent compared to a year ago, coal was down 15.2 percent, and limestone was up 11.3 percent.
   Year-to-date U.S.-flag laker volumes stand at nearly 72.3 million net tons, a 40.8 percent increase compared to the first 10 months of 2009, but 9.5 percent behind the five-year average for the January-October timeframe. Year to date, iron ore volumes are up 99.6 percent, coal is up 4.1 percent, and limestone is up 25 percent.