Great Lakes Coal Trade Up 25 Percent in March
CLEVELAND – Shipments of coal on the Great Lakes totaled 721,453 tons in March, an increase of 25 percent compared to a year ago. However, the trade was 11 percent below its 5-year average for March.
Loadings at Lake Superior ports increased by nearly 60 percent. Loadings in Chicago doubled their total of a year ago. However, shipments from Lake Erie ports slipped by 100,000 tons.
Year-to-date the Lakes coal trade stands at 1.1 million tons, a decrease of 17 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings are nearly 40 percent behind the 5-year average for the first quarter.