Great Lakes Limestone Trade Down 20 Percent in May
Cleveland—Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 2.9 million tons in May, an increase of 36.4 percent over April, but a decrease of 20 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments trailed the month’s 5-year average by 28 percent.
Shipments from U.S. quarries fell 14 percent compared to a year ago and are 26 percent off May’s 5-year average. Loadings at Canadian quarries slipped by nearly 40 percent compared to both a year ago and the month’s 5-year average.
Through May the limestone trade stands at 5.1 million tons, a decrease of 17 percent compared to the same point in 2010, and a drop of 28 percent compared to the 5-year average for the January-May timeframe.