Cargo Movement on the Great Lakes In U.S.-Flag Vessels Down 23.6 Percent in January
CLEVELAND—U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters (“lakers”) carried 3 million tons of dry-bulk cargo in January, a decrease of 23.6 percent compared to 2012. However, the fleet’s January float was slightly ahead of the month’s 5-year average. U.S.-flag lakers carried 2.7 million tons of iron ore in January, or 84.7 percent of the total volume of iron ore moved on the Great Lakes that month. However, the January ore float was 17.5 percent below a year ago.
The comparison is somewhat problematic; in January 2012, the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, stayed open until January 18 to allow iron ore cargos that had been delayed by weather to reach steelmakers, whereas this year they closed on January 15.