A comprehensive independent study of the economic impacts of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway navigation system for the 2022 shipping season has been released. The binational study, “Economic Impacts of Maritime Shipping in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region,” showed that 2022 maritime commerce supported:

• $36 billion (USD) in economic activity;
• more than 240,000 jobs, which generated almost $18 billion (USD) in wages;
• the movement of 135.7 million metric tons of raw materials and finished goods; and
• $6.3 billion (USD) in state and federal taxes.

The study was requested by a public/private sector committee of American and Canadian maritime organizations, with the intent of providing the navigation community and other stakeholders with an independent assessment of the economic contributions made by commercial maritime shipping in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region throughout North America.

The entire study is available here.

In addition to the information presented in this study, an additional study detailing the public and private investments made in the Great Lakes -St. Lawerence Seaway System will be released this fall.