Great Lakes Coal Trade Down 3.5 Percent in November
CLEVELAND – Shipments of coal on the Great Lakes totaled 2.9 million tons in November, an increase of 6.2 percent compared to October, but a drop of 3.5 percent compared to a year ago. Compared to the month’s 5-year average, loadings were down 15.1 percent. Loadings at Lake Superior ports rose by 12 percent, but shipments from Lake Michigan and Lake Erie terminals decreased by 10 and 24.5 percent respectively.
Overseas shipments from Superior, Wisconsin, resumed in November and totaled 79,480 tons. Year-to-date the Lakes coal trade stands at 23.1 million tons, a decrease of 8 percent compared to a year ago, and a drop of nearly 25 percent compared to the 5-year average for the JanuaryNovember timeframe.