U.S.-Flag Lakers Move 350,000 Tons of Cargo Per Day in September
CLEVELAND — U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters (lakers) moved 10.6 million tons of cargo in September, an average of 353,611 tons per day, and an increase of 6.8 percent compared to a year ago. The September float was also 9.1 percent better than the month’s long-term average.
Iron ore destined for the nation’s steel mills totaled 5.4 million tons in September, an increase of 13.8 percent compared to a year ago. Thanks to higher water levels, a few cargos approached 70,000 tons, but the decades-old dredging crisis still forced vessels to forfeit significant carrying capacity. Even the best loads were still about 3,000 tons short of what vessels were able to carry in 1997, a period of near record-high water levels.