U.S.-Flag Shipping on the Great Lakes Up 7.5 Percent in 2019

CLEVELAND — U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters (“lakers”) carried 6.8 million tons of cargo in December, a decrease of 19.9 percent compared to a year ago. There was a 46.1 percent decrease in coal cargos compared to December 2018. Limestone and iron ore cargos also registered decreases, 41.3 percent and 7.7 percent, respectively. Despite the decreases in December, U.S.-flag lakers carried 90 million tons of cargo for the year, an increase of 7.5 percent compared to 2018. Iron ore cargos totaled 49.7 million tons, an increase of 8.5 percent. Coal cargos totaled 11.3 million tons, a decrease of 4.2 percent. Limestone loadings approached 24.1 million tons, an increase of 9.7 percent.