It is reported that cargo numbers on the Great Lakes got a boost in July 2011 with iron ore for the steel industry leading the spike.
According to a monthly report from the Ohio based Lake Carriers Association, US flag ships on the lakes carried a total of 11.1 million tonnes of cargo in July 2011, up by 5.2% YoY and 2.1% more than the five year average. July's numbers are up by 10.9% MoM.
The report said that "Iron ore cargoes for the steel industry increased 17% compared to a year ago, but coal for power generation and steel production fell by 11.4%. Aggregate and fluxstone for the construction and steel industries slipped by 3.8%."
Shipments of cement, salt, sand and grain all showed year over year improvements in tonnages. Like the Great Lakes as a whole, the Port of Green Bay also saw tonnage increases last month with a total of 265,503 tonnes of cargo passing through the port. That figured helped buoy the year to date figure of 839,917 tonnes, about 17% more than at the same time last year when the figure was pegged at 716,784 tonnes.
According to a monthly report from the Brown County Port and Solid Waste Department, increases in the shipments of coal, cement, limestone, liquid asphalt and petroleum coke played into the July 2011 numbers. Also adding to the total are domestic and foreign exports of petroleum products. The Port of Duluth Superior has seen variations in cargoes in the year.
Mr Ron Johnson, trade development director for the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, said that "It pretty much parallels what the Lake Carriers Association is saying, coal is down and iron ore is up. When iron ore was in the dumps, coal was doing well and everybody thought coal would keep doing well, but that's not always going to be the case."
Mr John Schmidt CEO of Kimberly based US Venture, operators of the Express Convenience Centers, said that "The Port of Green Bay has provided our US Oil division an excellent distribution opportunity. With the construction of a new dock at our Green Bay bulk petroleum terminal, marine shipping has enabled us to pursue growth of our fuel distribution business beyond our traditional modes of pipeline, truck and rail."
(Sourced from www.postcrescent.com)
