Cargo & Commodities

Each year, millions of tons of materials are shipped efficiently through the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway System. This section covers the various bulk cargo, from iron ore and petroleum to stone and cement, being transported along the system.

Great Lakes Iron Ore Trade Up, Limestone Down in October

Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.8 million tons in October, a decrease of 2.7 percent compared to a year ago.  Limestone cargos were above the month’s five-year... Read More

Shifting Cargo: Great Lakes ports look to grow short sea shipping

Labor issues, congestion, efficiency and environmental stewardship. All are factors driving some ports on both sides of the border between Canada and the United States to consider the advantages of... Read More

Spliethoff Expands Great Lakes-European Service

There was important news in May regarding new international commerce on the Great Lakes. That’s when the UAL Fortitude called at the Port of Duluth-Superior, the start of Spliethoff’s new... Read More

$200 Million Lantic Sugar Expansion Plan at Port of Montreal

Lantic Sugar, which has a plant on Notre-Dame Street East on Port of Montreal territory, has announced a vast expansion and modernization project. The $200 million overhaul will make it... Read More

Iron Ore Trade Up, Limestone Down in June

Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 5.8 million tons in June, an increase of 47.8 percent from 2022. Shipments were 12.7 percent above the month’s 5-year average.... Read More

65th Opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway

The 2023 navigation season on the St. Lawrence Seaway is now underway. On Wednesday, March 22, 2023, Terence Bowles, president and CEO of the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC),... Read More

More Than 36 Million Metric Tons Transited System in 2022

More than 36 million metric tons (mmt) of cargo transited the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway System during the 2022 navigation season, according to the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC)... Read More

Three Great Lakes Ports Seek to Grow Container Trade

Historically, seaports have dominated the container scene, with boxes moved in and out of coastal ports on containerships and distributed inland by truck or rail. For the region surrounding the... Read More

Great Lakes Limestone Up 10.7 Percent in October

Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.9 million tons in October, an increase of 10.7 percent compared to a year ago.  Limestone cargos were also above the month’s... Read More

Potential Railroad Strike Threatens 30% of US Cargo Shipments

Story updated 12:00PM, 9/15/2022 Unions and management reached a tentative deal early Thursday, averting a freight railroad strike that had threatened to further disrupt U.S. supply chains and drive prices... Read More