Cargo totals on the St. Lawrence Seaway hit nearly 32.3 million metric tons (from April 1 to November 30), down 6.6% from 2019, according to the Chamber of Marine Commerce.

Compared to previous months, the improvement in total cargo figures in November is due in large part to grain shipments, which have been strong since the fall harvest began. Year-to-date grain shipments via the Seaway (including Canada and the U.S.) are up 23 percent. U.S. grain specifically is up nearly 20%.

The large increases are welcomed by ports and industry officials, who anticipate the trend to continue into 2021. Year-to-date shipments of iron ore (-13%), dry bulk (-15%) and liquid bulk (-36%) remain down.

“Grain shipments are expected to continue to be strong for the remainder of the year. Ocean vessel traffic currently in the system is up 20 percent over the five-year average,” said Bruce Burrows, President and CEO of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “This will certainly help our Chamber members who have experienced various highs and lows this year due to the pandemic. It’s nice to see the year end on a positive note.”

Another positive commodity moving through the Seaway in November was project cargo, including wind turbine components, up 57 percent year-to-date.