Great Lakes iron ore shipments totaled 4.6 million tons in December, according to latest data from the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA). The figure, a 4.5% decrease compared to a year ago, sits slightly above the five-year average for the month.
Lake Superior iron deposits have supplied 90% of U.S. iron production over the past 50 years, with Michigan and Minnesota being the only states currently mining iron ore. The cargo is primarily shipped from northern ports in Lake Superior down to steel production sites located adjacent to, or accessed from, receiving facilities in lower Lake Michigan or Lake Erie.
In addition to iron ore, bulk carriers on the Great Lakes transport limestone, coal, cement, and other dry bulk materials such as salt, sand and grain. According to LCA, the U.S.-flag Great Lakes fleet moves more than 90 million tons of cargo annually.
