CLEVELAND – Shipments of iron ore from U.S. Great Lakes ports totaled 4.4 million tons in May, a decrease of 20.4 percent compared to a year ago and 21.9 percent below the month’s 5-year average.
Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 9.9 million tons, a decrease of 33.9 percent compared to the same point in 2021. Iron ore shipments were also 31.4 percent below their 5-year average for five months of the year.
Since 1880, Lake Carriers’ has represented the U.S.-flag Great Lakes fleet, which today can move more than 90 million tons of cargos annually that are the foundation of American industry, infrastructure, and power: iron ore, stone, coal, cement, and other dry bulk materials such as grain, salt, and sand. More information is available at www.lcaships.com.
| Great Lakes Iron Ore Shipments: May 2017-2022 and 5-Year Average | |||||||
| Includes Transshipments to Quebec City for Shipment Overseas | |||||||
| (net tons) | |||||||
| Average | |||||||
| Port | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2017-2021 |
| Duluth, MN | 815,122 | 881,142 | 839,299 | 962,891 | 774,032 | 630,018 | 854,497 |
| Superior, WI | 1,299,271 | 1,486,925 | 1,350,804 | 867,089 | 1,184,972 | 1,234,410 | 1,237,812 |
| Two Harbors, MN | 1,764,645 | 1,780,303 | 1,947,229 | 2,059,221 | 1,814,766 | 1,763,375 | 1,873,233 |
| Silver Bay, MN | 585,630 | 604,910 | 644,370 | 344,327 | 612,916 | 231,971 | 558,431 |
| Marquette, MI* | 728,326 | 775,550 | 736,054 | 411,603 | 709,733 | 497,662 | 672,253 |
| Escanaba, MI** | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cleveland, OH*** | 371,120 | 113,015 | 308,822 | 180,853 | 409,200 | 26,776 | 276,602 |
| Ashtabula, OH | 184,616 | 243,355 | 174,324 | 117,937 | 0 | 0 | 144,046 |
| Total | 5,748,730 | 5,885,200 | 6,000,902 | 4,943,921 | 5,505,619 | 4,384,212 | 5,616,874 |
| *Marquette = Presque Isle in previous reports |
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- China’s total iron ore imports from Australia may fall below 60% in 2022
| Year-To-Date 2017-2022 | |||||||
| Average | |||||||
| Port | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2017-2021 |
| Duluth, MN | 2,112,191 | 2,045,673 | 2,268,245 | 2,093,511 | 2,244,021 | 1,645,187 | 2,152,728 |
| Superior, WI | 2,940,522 | 3,307,320 | 2,976,518 | 2,586,320 | 3,388,005 | 2,562,853 | 3,039,737 |
| Two Harbors, MN | 4,556,647 | 4,245,040 | 4,754,114 | 4,437,439 | 4,780,970 | 3,753,362 | 4,554,842 |
| Silver Bay, MN | 1,486,205 | 1,441,706 | 1,291,335 | 1,198,389 | 1,445,281 | 420,744 | 1,372,583 |
| Marquette, MI* | 1,913,826 | 1,670,398 | 1,838,499 | 1,508,221 | 2,147,543 | 1,144,165 | 1,815,697 |
| Escanaba, MI** | 1,016,867 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 203,373 |
| Cleveland, OH*** | 1,151,402 | 976,126 | 953,265 | 1,093,256 | 925,925 | 366,464 | 1,019,995 |
| Ashtabula, OH | 263,132 | 379,922 | 372,081 | 249,942 | 28,553 | 0 | 258,726 |
| Total | 15,440,792 | 14,066,185 | 14,454,057 | 13,167,078 | 14,960,298 | 9,892,775 | 14,417,682 |
Information based on data from knowledgeable sources. However, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Lake Carriers’ Association assumes no legal responsibility for the outcome of decisions or commitments made on the basis of this information. Report represents the views of Lake Carriers’ Association and may not necessarily represent the views of its individual members.
