Great Lakes Iron Ore Trade Surged in January
Cleveland – Iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes totaled 2.4 million tons in January, an increase of 61 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings also topped the month’s 5-year average by nearly 22 percent.
The final iron ore cargo of the month in the Head-of-the-Lakes trade (Lake Superior to lower Lakes ports) totaled 69,087 tons and was carried by the U.S.-flag 1,000-footer AMERICAN CENTURY. The cargo was loaded in Duluth, Minnesota, on January 13 and delivered to Ashtabula, Ohio. The final cargo in the iron ore shuttle between Ashtabula, Ohio, and Cleveland, Ohio, was loaded on January 18 and was carried by the U.S.-flag tug/barge unit DOROTHY ANN/PATHFINDER. The cargo totaled 15,626 tons