The Chamber of Marine Commerce said grain exports out of the Great Lakes are up for the year,which has "accelerated a rebound in shipping on the St Lawrence Seaway."
Total Seaway year-to-date shipments through the end of September reached 21.2 million tonnes, the Chamber said, which is 5% lower than last year.
But US grain has totaled 1.4 million tonnes, up more than 5% over the 2015 season’s already robust performance. The Chamber also said iron ore expects are showing some growth.
“While overall tonnage is about 5 percent behind last year, the resurgence in shipping activity that started in August continued last month,” said Raymond Johnston, president of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “US grain exports are up and we’re seeing a resumption of iron ore exports from ports in the Upper Great Lakes such as Duluth-Superior due to improved world pricing.”
Shipments of aluminum, for the auto industry, remained a growth area for several ports including Toledo, Detroit and Oswego, NY. In addition, liquid bulk shipments, including petroleum, asphalt and other products, totaled 2.5 million metric tons, up 25%.
The Port of Toledo said it has outpaced last year’s totals for coal, liquids, and general cargo shipments in September. Aluminum shipments originating in Canada led the way in the general cargo category improving 27% over last year. “Grain shipments consisting of imported wheat from Canada and overseas corn exports have also been fairly strong, the Chamber said.
The Port of Green Bay said it saw an 8% increase in overall tonnage compared to 2015, thanks to increased shipping of petroleum products. The Port of Green Bay has also seen a 10% increase in limestone shipments coming into its port.
