Limestone cargos down 7.4 percent in July
August 29, 07 by TheFleetIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Source: Lake Carriers’ Association
Cleveland—Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 4.4 million net tons in July, a decrease of 7.4 percent compared to a year ago, and 5.2 percent off the month’s 5-year average. While demand is sluggish in some key markets, the trade continues to be hampered by lack of dredging throughout the Great Lakes navigation system.
July limestone shipments also were impacted by a labor dispute that continued to idle three vessels that regularly haul the product.
Through July, limestone shipments stand at 16.7 million net tons, a decrease of 11 percent compared to a year ago, and 8 percent behind the 5-year average for the January-July timeframe. The comparison to a year ago does in part reflect low inventories at several quarries when shipping resumed in late March.
Colborne is not expected to ship in 2007.
Lake Carriers’ Association represents 18 American corporations that operate 63 U.S.-Flag vessels on the Great Lakes. These vessels carry the raw materials that drive the nation’s economy: Iron ore and fluxstone for the steel industry, limestone, and cement for the construction industry, coal for power generation…. Collectively, these vessels can transport as much as 125 million tons of cargo a year when high water levels offset the lack of adequate dredging of Great Lakes ports and waterways. More information is available at www.lcaships.com.
