St. Lawrence Seaway reported that U.S. Great Lakes ports marked mixed volume results during June following the coronavirus crisis.
Although the ports noted strong shipments of aluminum, road salt and grain, continuing decreases in commodities related to steel production and manufacturing were marked as well.
St. Lawrence Seaway said that from April 1 to June 30, nearly 11.7 million metric tons of cargo was shipped via the bi-national trade corridor.
While these volumes were down 8% compared to the same time period in 2019, cargo shipments improved in June narrowing the year-over-year decline.
American ports and the Seaway have benefited from worldwide demand for grain for food staples, continuing shipments of road salt and Canadian aluminum and general cargo like wind turbine components.
…said Bruce Burrows, President and CEO of the Chamber of Marine Commerce.
Despite numerous challenges, including a restrictive international tariff climate and economic uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Port Milwaukee’s commercial activity is up 2% when compared to 2019.
At the same time, Port of Toledo reported that overall tonnage from March through June is down about 15% compared to last year. The drop in tonnage comes despite general cargo shipments that have more than doubled.
What is more, Port of Green Bay noted imports of nearly 110,000 tons of salt and 73,000 tons of limestone.
Total imports and exports hit nearly 288,000 tons in June to move the year-to-date totals 3% ahead of the same time a year ago.
Grain shipments at the Port of Duluth-Superior remained robust, tracking nearly 22% ahead of the five-season tonnage average, but the port’s tonnage leader, iron ore, slipped 10 %.
Concluding, Port of Cleveland, similar to other ports and transportation sectors in the global supply chain, experienced a decrease in cargo volumes through the month of June at its general cargo and bulk terminals.
