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Lakes Limestone Trade Up 5.5 Percent Iron Ore Trade Down 20.4 Percent in May

19 Jun 2022

Lake Carriers’ Association

CLEVELAND, OHIO, DULUTH, MINNESOTA, THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO ~~~~~ June 19, 2022 (LSNews) Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.9 million tons in May, an increase of 5.5 percent compared to a year ago. May’s loadings were also above the month’s 5-year average by 3 percent.

Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 3 million tons, an increase of 5.2 percent compared to 2021. Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 855,108 tons, an increase of 6.7 percent.

Year-to-date the Lakes limestone trade stands at nearly 5.9 million tons, a decrease of 4.4 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries total 4.7 million tons, a decrease of 3.6 percent. Shipments from Ontario quarries total 1.2 million tons, a decrease of 7.3 percent.

GREAT LAKES LIMESTONE TRADE: MAY 2017-2022 AND LONG-TERM AVERAGE
(NET TONS)

	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	Average 2017-2021
U.S. Ports	2,924,060	3,155,346	3,413,862	2,722,283	2,892,367	3,042,869	3,021,584
Canadian Ports	682,595	632,187	890,484	802,468	801,551	855,108	761,857
Total	3,606,655	3,787,533	4,304,346	3,524,751	3,693,918	3,897,977	3,783,441

YEAR-TO-DATE 2017-2022 AND LONG-TERM AVERAGE
(NET TONS)

	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	Average 2017-2021
U.S. Ports	4,335,388	4,469,074	5,506,628	4,740,948	4,864,932	4,689,242	4,783,394
Canadian Ports	979,837	808,801	1,180,221	1,047,659	1,321,703	1,225,215	1,067,644
Total	5,315,225	5,277,875	6,686,849	5,788,607	6,186,635	5,914,457	5,851,038

U.S. ports: Calcite, MI; Cedarville, MI; Drummond Island, MI; Marblehead, OH; Port Inland, MI; and Presque Isle, MI. Canadian ports: Bruce Mines, Manitoulin Island, Port Colborne (from August 2017 on) and Smelter Bay (all Ontario).

Shipments of iron ore from U.S. Great Lakes ports totaled 4.4 million tons in May, a decrease of 20.4 percent compared to a year ago and 21.9 percent below the month’s 5-year average.

Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 9.9 million tons, a decrease of 33.9 percent compared to the same point in 2021. Iron ore shipments were also 31.4 percent below their 5-year average for five months of the year.

Since 1880, Lake Carriers’ has represented the U.S.-flag Great Lakes fleet, which today can move more than 90 million tons of cargos annually that are the foundation of American industry, infrastructure, and power: iron ore, stone, coal, cement, and other dry bulk materials such as grain, salt, and sand.  More information is available at www.lcaships.com.

Great Lakes Iron Ore Shipments: May 2017-2022 and 5-Year Average
Includes Transshipments to Quebec City for Shipment Overseas
(net tons)
							Average
Port	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2017-2021
Duluth, MN	815,122	881,142	839,299	962,891	774,032	630,018	854,497
Superior, WI	1,299,271	1,486,925	1,350,804	867,089	1,184,972	1,234,410	1,237,812
Two Harbors, MN	1,764,645	1,780,303	1,947,229	2,059,221	1,814,766	1,763,375	1,873,233
Silver Bay, MN	585,630	604,910	644,370	344,327	612,916	231,971	558,431
Marquette, MI*	728,326	775,550	736,054	411,603	709,733	497,662	672,253
Escanaba, MI**	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Cleveland, OH***	371,120	113,015	308,822	180,853	409,200	26,776	276,602
Ashtabula, OH	184,616	243,355	174,324	117,937	0	0	144,046
Total	5,748,730	5,885,200	6,000,902	4,943,921	5,505,619	4,384,212	5,616,874
*Marquette = Presque Isle in previous reports
**Dock ceased operations in April 2017.
***Transshipments within Cleveland Harbor
Year-To-Date 2017-2022
							Average
Port	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2017-2021
Duluth, MN	2,112,191	2,045,673	2,268,245	2,093,511	2,244,021	1,645,187	2,152,728
Superior, WI	2,940,522	3,307,320	2,976,518	2,586,320	3,388,005	2,562,853	3,039,737
Two Harbors, MN	4,556,647	4,245,040	4,754,114	4,437,439	4,780,970	3,753,362	4,554,842
Silver Bay, MN	1,486,205	1,441,706	1,291,335	1,198,389	1,445,281	420,744	1,372,583
Marquette, MI*	1,913,826	1,670,398	1,838,499	1,508,221	2,147,543	1,144,165	1,815,697
Escanaba, MI**	1,016,867	0	0	0	0	0	203,373
Cleveland, OH***	1,151,402	976,126	953,265	1,093,256	925,925	366,464	1,019,995
Ashtabula, OH	263,132	379,922	372,081	249,942	28,553	0	258,726
Total	15,440,792	14,066,185	14,454,057	13,167,078	14,960,298	9,892,775	14,417,682

Information based on data from knowledgeable sources.  However, accuracy cannot be guaranteed.  Lake Carriers’ Association assumes no legal responsibility for the outcome of decisions or commitments made on the basis of this information.  Report represents the views of Lake Carriers’ Association and may not necessarily represent the views of its individual members.

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