1/16/2013

Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 61.6 million tons in 2012, a slight improvement over 2011, the Lake Carriers' Association (LCA) said Wednesday.

The increase, 245,000 tons, is equal to about four cargos in a 1,000-foot-long vessel operating at current drafts, which are significantly reduced by the lower water levels and federal government's reluctance to allocate dredging funds.

Shipments from U.S. ports totaled 53.7 million tons, a decrease of 2.5 percent compared with 2011. Included in that total were 3.7 million tons transshipped to Québec City for loading into oceangoing vessels.

Shipments through area ports totaled 4.42 million tons, down from 5.2 million one year ago.

Loadings at Canadian ports in the St. Lawrence Seaway totaled 7.9 million tons, an increase of 25.3 percent.

The first loads of 2013 make clear the dredging crisis and record low water levels will challenge the industry this year, according to LCA. The biggest cargos were just slightly over 60,000 tons. The record for the iron ore trade through the Soo Locks is 72,300 tons, and that cargo dates from 1997, the last time water levels approached record highs.

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