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St. Lawrence Seaway sees sharp increases in May as economy continues recovery

Posted 6/17/21

U.S. Great Lakes ports and the St. Lawrence Seaway reported sharp increases in cargo volumes of construction materials, steel and iron ore in May to supply renewed manufacturing and building activity …

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St. Lawrence Seaway sees sharp increases in May as economy continues recovery

Posted

U.S. Great Lakes ports and the St. Lawrence Seaway reported sharp increases in cargo volumes of construction materials, steel and iron ore in May to supply renewed manufacturing and building activity in the region.

According to the latest statistics from the St. Lawrence Seaway (from March 22 to May 31), overall cargo shipments totaled 8.1 million metric tons, in line with last year. But in the dry bulk category, cement and gypsum shipments totaled more than 776,000 metric tons, up 51% over the same period in 2020 and 59% higher than the five-year average.

General cargo shipments through the St. Lawrence Seaway were up 37% compared to the same period in 2020 (and 23% above the five-year average), driven by steel imports from Europe being used in Ontario and U.S. Great Lakes cities for auto parts, battery, and appliance manufacturing as well as construction.

“Prices and demand for raw materials are surging around the globe as well as in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region as the pace of economic recovery has taken everyone by surprise,” said Bruce Burrows, President and CEO of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “Our marine highway is delivering products and materials to support everything from infrastructure and building projects, to automotive and consumer goods manufacturing.”