Lakes Stone Trade Stonewalled by Ice in April
CLEVELAND—Heavy ice cover on the Lakes significantly slowed the resumption of the limestone trade in April. Stone normally starts moving in earnest in early April, but only one cargo had been loaded by midmonth. The total for the full month – 983,000 tons – represents a decrease of nearly 47 percent compared to a year ago.
Shipments from U.S. ports totaled 968,000 tons, a decrease of 39 percent compared to a year ago. With only two stone cargos being loaded at Canadian quarries, shipments from Canada plummeted 94 percent.
No stone moved in the first quarter, hence the April float also represents the year-to-date total for the trade and amounts to a decrease of 54 percent compared to the same point in 2013.