According to a report, Indiana is the state with the greatest economic impact from cargo handling by ports and terminals along the Great Lakes-Seaway system.
Ohio and Michigan landed a distant second and third, according to the “Economic Impacts of Maritime Shipping in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region” report.
In Indiana, 75,498 people were directly or indirectly employed because of the system. Business revenue topped $11 million. And more than $2 million in taxes were collected because of activity on the seaway.
The port at Burns Harbor specifically was mentioned as one that has steel mills and other operations that create a larger concentration of direct jobs.
The Burns Harbor port handled 3.45 million tons of cargo on Lake Michigan in 2022, a 2% increase from 2021, according to the Ports of Indiana. For the second consecutive year, the port exceeded its highest annual shipping total since its inception in 1970.
“As governor of Indiana, my mission is to increase Indiana’s global competitiveness and our ports play a critical role by bringing the world to Indiana and connecting Indiana to the world,” said Gov. Eric Holcomb in a press release.
Martin Associates, which has headquarters in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, performed the analysis for the study. The study sponsors were the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. (U.S.), the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. (Canada), the American Great Lakes Ports Association, the Chamber of Marine Commerce, the Lake Carriers’ Association and the Shipping Federation of Canada.
Caption: The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor was cited by the “Economic Impacts of Maritime Shipping in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region” report as a factor that made Indiana the top state for cargo in the Great Lakes-Seaway system. (Provided by the Ports of Indiana)
