Great Lakes Iron Ore and Limestone Trade Down in July
Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 5.1 million tons in July, a decrease of 10.9% compared to 2024, according to the Lake Carriers’ Association. Shipments were below the month’s 5-year average by 1.7%.
Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 21.8 million tons, a decrease of 14.9% compared to one year ago. Iron ore shipments were 7.3% below their 5-year average for the first seven months of the year.
Meanwhile, the Lake Carriers’ Association reports that shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.5 million tons in July, a decrease of less than 1% compared to 2024. The trade was below the month’s 5-year average by 6.7%.
Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 2.9 million tons, a decrease of 1% compared to one year ago. Shipments from Canadian quarries decreased by less than 1% to 646,418 tons.
Year-to-date, Great Lakes limestone trade stands at 12.7 million tons, a decrease of 5% compared to one year ago. Loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries total 10.4 million tons, a decrease of 3.2%. Shipments from Ontario quarries total 2.3 million tons, a decrease of 12.6% compared to 2024.
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