The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation will raise tolls for the 2013 by 3 percent.

Seaway officials said the move follows a five-year toll freeze.

"The modest increase in tolls underscores the SLSMC’s determination to maintain the positive momentum generated by its market development initiatives," a release from corporation said.

According to Seaway Management, over 39 million metric tons of cargo transited the Seaway in 2012, representing a 4 percent increase in volume.

“Our carriers are making significant progress in building their share of the cargo market. The continuation of the Seaway’s existing business incentive programs and the pending introduction of a new Gateway Incentive will serve to extend the marine mode’s competitive position, and generate new business” said Bruce Hodgson, Director of Market Development for the SLSMC."

Terence Bowles, President and CEO of the SLSMC said the increase tolls will be used to improve infrastructure.

“We continue to invest in the renewal of the Seaway infrastructure so as to provide the high reliability users have become accustomed to. We are also diligently advancing efforts to reduce system costs and bring more cargo into the Seaway. To this end, we are moving forward with testing of our Hands Free Mooring technology, as part of our transit of the future initiative,” he said.

The Great Lakes Seaway System navigation system supports over 227,000 jobs and $35 billion of economic activity annually in the U.S. and Canada.