Fast Start for Lakes Limestone; Up 21 Percent in April
CLEVELAND – Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 2.6 million tons in April, an increase of 21 percent compared to a year ago and 5.1 percent better than the month’s 5-year average. The strongest gains came at U.S. ports. Loadings rose by almost 370,000 tons (again 21 percent). Shipments from Canadian quarries increased by nearly 80,000 tons, or 20.5 percent.
Year-to-date the Lakes limestone trade stands at 2,753,400 tons, an increase of 26.5 percent compared to a year ago and 6.5 percent ahead of the 5-year average for the January-April timeframe.