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Special Focus
Flag fleets on Great Lakes record increase for November
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12/18/2006 |
Flag fleets moved 10.6 million net tons of dry-bulk cargo on the Great Lakes in November, an increase of 11 percent compared to a year ago.
However, the increase is primarily the result of fewer weather-related delays. Storms and high winds kept the fleet at anchor more than 5,000 hours in November 2005. The better measure is the comparison with the month’s 5-year average, and in that regard, this November was up 1.8 percent.
Despite the upturn in cargo movement, the dredging crisis continued to weigh heavily on the industry.
Water levels are plunging on Lake Superior and loads reflected that. The largest coal cargo shipped from Lake Superior through the Soo Locks was 64,256 net tons, or only 94 percent of the vessel’s rated capacity. The iron ore trade from Lake Superior fared worse. The largest iron ore cargo in November totaled only 63,627 net tons.
Lack of adequate dredging impacted cargo movement throughout the system. For example, a U.S.-Flag Laker that carried more than 16,000 net tons from a Lake Erie coal dock to a Canadian customer in November 2005 was only able to lift 14,900 net tons when making the same voyage this November.
For the year, U.S.-Flag carriage stands at 99.7 million net tons, an increase of 1.4 percent compared to the same point in 2005. The U.S.-Flag float is 5.5 percent ahead of the 5-year average for the January-November timeframe.
Lake Carriers’ Association represents 18 American corporations that operate 63 U.S.-Flag vessels on the Great Lakes. These vessels carry the raw materials that drive the nation’s economy: Iron ore and fluxstone for the steel industry, limestone and cement for the construction industry, coal for power generation.
Collectively, these vessels transport as much as 125 million tons of cargo
a year when high water levels offset lack of adequate dredging. More information is available at www.lcaship.com.
Source: Lake Carriers’ Association Contact: Glen G. Nekvasil – Vice President – Corporate Communications (216-861-0592)
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