The North American Great Lakes region face[ds_preview]s a 7.5% decline in cargo volumes year-to-date. A huge upturn in steel slabs and other project cargoes prevented the ports from suffering even more.
The St. Lawrence Seaway reported that year-to-date cargo shipments for the period
March 21 to August 31 were 17.2 million metric tons, down 7.5 % over the same
period in 2015. The dry bulk category was down nearly 14 %. Iron ore was down 18
%; coal was down almost 8 %. While the general cargo category was down
nearly 6 % overall, steel slabs and other general cargo were up almost 70 %, it was announced.
»As we approach the mid-year point of the 2016 navigation season we continue to see a diversified mix of cargoes moving throughout the Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway System,« said Betty Sutton, Administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. During the month of August, export cargoes consisted of general cargo, containerized cargo, wheat, soybeans and corn. Imports of aluminum arrived at the Ports of Oswego and Toledo, and for the second straight month, windmill components were off-loaded at the Port of Ogdensburg. The Ports of Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Burns Harbor
(Ind.), and Milwaukee received bulk shipments of steel and high-value project cargoes
consisting of machinery and mechanical presses. The Port of Ashtabula in northeast
Ohio handled large loads of rutile and ilmenite sand from Australia and Kenya.
According to the administration, year-to-date project cargo shipments through August at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor were up 66 % over 2015. Grain shipments were up nearly 17 percent during the same time period. »During August, our stevedores discharged numerous pieces of large machinery and specialized equipment for Midwest manufacturers,« said Port Director Rick Heimann. »Cargoes included European generators, cranes and tanks.« The Port of Milwaukee continues to see particularly strong grain exports this year along with steel arriving at a pace that is similar to last year. »The Port received some good news this week with the announcement of a grant from the State of Wisconsin
which will fund 80 percent of the cost of a $2.2-million rail improvement project at the
Port,« said Port Director Paul Vornholt. 2016 has been a solid year for break bulk shipments through the Port of Toledo. »We’ve seen a lot of aluminum and project cargo so far this year,” said Joe Cappel, Vice President of Business Development for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority.
According to the Lakes Carriers‘ Association, Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 32,851,570 tons, a decrease of 2 % compared to the same point in 2015. Year-over-year, loadings at U.S. ports are up by 270,000 tons, or 0.9 %, but shipments from Canadian ports in the St. Lawrence Seaway have slipped by 955,000 tons, or 21.6 %. Lake Carriers’ Association represents 14 American companies that operate 56 U.S.-flag vessels on the Great Lakes.
Read more on the Great Lakes shipping industry in the next HANSA issue 10/2016.
