Great Lakes Coal Trade Dips Slightly in April
CLEVELAND – Shipments of coal on the Great Lakes totaled 2.2 million tons in April, a decrease of 3.8 percent compared to a year ago. However, when compared to its 5-year average, the trade was down nearly 27 percent.
Loadings at Lake Superior ports increased by nearly 10 percent, but shipments from Chicago fell by a third. Lake Erie ports were off 12.3 percent, or 90,000 tons.
Year-to-date the Lakes coal trade stands at 3.3 million tons, a decrease of 8.7 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings are 31 percent behind the 5-year average for the January-April timeframe.