Dramatic gains in shipments of iron ore, limestone
U.S.-flagged lakers carried 10.4 million net tons of cargo in June, a 5 percent increase over May 2010 and a 39 percent increase compared with the same period in 2009, the Lake Carriers’ Association reported.
The cargo float in June was down 3.7 percent from the five-year average for that month.
Iron ore movement nearly doubled from June 2009, rising to approximately 4.3 million net tons and exceeding the five-year average mark.
Coal loadings were up 5.3 percent, the LCA reported, reaching a total of nearly 2.7 million net tons.
Limestone carriage was up 50 percent from the same period last year, totaling 2.85 million net tons.
The Great Lakes cargo float for the year stands at 32.9 million net tons, an increase of 57.5 percent compared with the same period in 2009, but 10.2 percent behind the five-year average mark for the January-through-June timeframe, the LCA reported.
Iron ore cargoes are up 138 percent compared with the first half of last year, while coal cargoes are only slightly ahead of 2009.
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