A new study released by the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway maritime industry shows Indiana plays a major role in cargo shipping on the Great Lakes.
The Great Lakes shoreline spans more than 4,800 miles in the U.S., with only 45 miles of that in Indiana. Even with less than 1 percent of the shoreline, Indiana accounted for more than half of the U.S. economic activity related to shipping on the Great Lakes.
Cargo movements on the Great Lakes generated the following economic impacts in Indiana during 2017:
- Supported 66,158 jobs (nearly 45 percent of the total U.S. jobs attributable to Great Lakes shipping)
- Created $13.7 billion in economic activity (53 percent of U.S. total)
- Generated $4.9 billion in personal income (47 percent of U.S. total)
The study analyzed the 2017 navigation system and found more than 143 million tons of cargo valued at $15.2 billion were moved on the Great Lakes Seaway system. This cargo created the following economic impacts in the binational region:
- Supported 237,868 jobs
- Created $35 billion in economic activity ($25.6 billion in U.S. alone)
- Generated $14.2 billion in personal income
- Paid $6.2 billion in federal/state/local taxes
The “Economic Impacts of Maritime Shipping in the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Region” study was conducted by Martin Associates, an economic consulting firm specializing in maritime analysis.
The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System is the longest deep-draft waterway in the world spanning 2,300 miles from Duluth, Minn. to the Atlantic Ocean. This commercial waterway serves ports in the eight Great Lakes states and the provinces of Ontario and Quebec.
Located on the south shore of Lake Michigan, the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor is one of the Great Lakes' busiest international ports and is beginning a $20 million expansion to double its capacity for handling bulk commodities.
