General Cargo Down, Grain Trade Up on the Great Lakes in 2025
General cargo, which includes steel shipments, dropped significantly, down nearly 30% to 2.1 million metric tons, likely attributed to U.S. trade tariffs. Dry bulk and liquid bulk showed slight gains, with 2.38% and .61% increases respectively.
The Lake Carriers’ Association reported limestone shipments on the Great Lakes totaled 24.1 million metric tons in 2025, a decrease of 5.9% compared to the previous year. Shipments from U.S. quarries decreased 5% from 2024 to 19.6 million metric tons, while shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 4.4 million metric tons, a 9.7% decrease compared to the previous year.
Overall, 2025 limestone loadings were below the trade’s 5-year average by 6.7%.
Vessel transits on the system were down slightly for 2025, with 3,937 vessels transporting cargo on the system, a .38% decrease from the previous season.
Image: Wilfred Sykes photo courtesy of Lake Carriers’ Association
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