Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.5 million tons in September, an increase of 17.5 percent compared to a year ago. September’s loadings were also 5.5 percent ahead of the month’s five-year average.
Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 2.9 million tons, an increase of nearly 15 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 609,000 tons, an increase of nearly 32 percent over a year ago.
Year-to-date the Lakes limestone trade stands at 20.1 million tons, an increase of 3.3 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries total 16.5 million tons, an increase of 5.3 percent. Shipments from Ontario quarries total 3.6 million tons, a decrease of 4.9 percent.
Lake Carriers’ Association represents 13 American companies that operate 49 U.S.-flag vessels on the Great Lakes and carry the raw materials that drive the nation’s economy: iron ore and fluxstone for the steel industry, aggregate and cement for the construction industry, coal for power generation, as well as sand and grain. Collectively, these vessels can transport more than 100 million tons of cargo per year.