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 average by 6.3 percent.

Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 3 million tons, a decrease of 6.4 percent.  Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 835,201 tons, an increase of 13.5 percent.

Year-to-date the limestone trade stands at 23.5 million tons, a decrease of 5.9 percent compared to 2022.  Loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries total 18.9 million tons, a decrease of 4.9 percent.  Shipments from Ontario quarries total 4.6 million tons, a decrease of 9.9 percent.

Meanwhile, shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 5.1 million tons in October, an increase of 8.5 percent compared to a year ago.  Shipments were a near match to the month’s five-year average.

Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 41.8 million tons, an increase of 23.3 percent compared to the same point in 2022.

Through October, iron ore loadings are 5.7 percent above their five-year average for the January-October timeframe.