U.S.-Flag Laker Cargos Down 8.7 Percent in November
CLEVELAND—U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters (“lakers”) carried 9.2 million tons of dry-bulk cargo in November, a 6.6 percent increase over October’s total that was noticeably impacted by Hurricane Sandy. However, compared to a year ago, the U.S.-flag float was down by almost 9 percent. November’s loadings were also 4 percent below the month’s 5-year average. Iron ore cargos for the steel industry totaled 4.1 million tons in November, a decrease of 11.8 percent compared to a year ago.
At 2.3 million tons, coal cargos registered a slight increase, but loadings of aggregate and fluxstone fell 14.4 percent to 2.2 million tons. Through November U.S.-flag cargos stand at 81.6 million tons, a decrease of 4.1 percent compared to the same point in 2011, and 2 percent below the 5-year average for the JanuaryNovember timeframe. Iron ore cargos are down by 4.4 percent compared to a year ago. Coal has slipped by more than 13 percent, but limestone cargos are still up by 3.7 percent, or 750,000 tons.