WASHINGTON, D.C. – The St. Lawrence Seaway reported that year-to-date total cargo shipments for the period March 22 to May 31 were 8.1 million metric tons, down 12 percent over the same period in 2012.
“U.S. grain tonnage shipped through Seaway locks more than doubled (132 percent) compared to last year’s figures through May 31, and there was a solid increase (7 percent) in liquid bulk products totaling almost a million metric tons. These two commodities are the bright spots in the navigation season so far,” said Rebecca Spruill, director of the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation’s Office of Trade Development.
Iron ore and coal, traditionally top producers for Seaway shipments, showed downturns of 17 percent and 7 percent respectively. Coal shipments in the Great Lakes have been dropping due to electric utility plants converting to natural gas operations. However, U.S. ports have seen an increase of exports of low sulfur coal to Europe.
General cargo was down 19 percent to 389,000 metric tons. In the liquid bulk category, petroleum products showed a 24 percent year-to-date increase to 642,000 metric tons. The dry bulk category was down 27 percent to 1.7 million metric tons. However, scrap metal and pig iron posted upturns of 69 percent and 16 percent respectively.
“Our tonnage is down slightly from last year’s fast start, but we are 15 percent ahead of our previous five-year average,” said Rick Heimann, port director for the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor. “We have seen significant increases in bulk commodities and project cargoes, and had the added bonus of being able to handle the world’s largest crawler crane for the second time in two years as it was shipped back to Germany from the BP Refinery Expansion in Whiting, Ind. Looking ahead, we expect to see an increase in barge traffic coming up through the inland water system in June but the outlook for Seaway shipments is more uncertain at this point.”
Through May, the Port of Indiana handled 30-times more project cargo than 2012 as well as significant increases in shipments of fertilizer (37 percent), soybeans (15 percent) and various dry bulk cargoes, including slag shipments which were up nearly five times more than the previous year’s five-month total.
