Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3,348,040 tons in July, a decrease of 18 percent compared to a year ago, according to the Lake Carriers Association. July’s loadings were also 14 percent below the month’s five-year average.
Loadings out of U.S. quarries totaled 2.6 million tons, a decrease of 26 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 760,000 tons, an increase of 35 percent compared to a year ago.
Year-to-date the Lakes limestone trade stands at 13.1 million tons, a decrease of 6 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings out of Michigan and Ohio quarries total 10.4 million tons, a decrease of 11 percent. Shipments from Ontario quarries total 2.7 million tons, an increase of 19 percent.
Lake Carriers Association represents 14 American companies that operate 56 U.S.-flag vessels on the Great Lakes and carry the raw materials that drive the nation’s economy: iron ore and fluxstone for the steel industry, aggregate and cement for the construction industry, coal for power generation, as well as salt, sand and grain. Collectively, these vessels can transport more than 100 million tons of cargo per year.