Great Lakes Shipping Picks Up After Slow Spring

Great Lakes cargo numbers rallied in May after a slow start. Shipping officials have some cautious optimism about the coming season, though the forecasting is based on a lot of “ifs.”

This year’s slow start was blamed on winter making an extended stay, with snow storms and late ice clogging shipping traffic. St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation acting Administrator Craig Middlebrook says while North America’s economy is picking up steam, China and Europe are sluggish.

“Europe is still sorting out a number of things, and particularly on the steel front import commodity for us. That’s had an effect.”

Cargo on the St. Lawrence Seaway is down 12 percent so far this year, even with tonnage up in May. Middlebrook says a bright spot is grain trade, which was smacked down by drought last year.

“One of the harder U.S. grain seasons in memory this year completely turned around, in fact outpacing the export of Canadian grain. So we look to see that continuing, and happily that’s buoyed some of the downturn right now in the coal area, in the iron ore area, in the steel area.”

The Duluth-Superior port’s traffic is down more than 10 percent. Port Authority Director Adolph Ojard thinks traffic is picking up.

“There’s a general sense that there’s an improvement in the business climate out there. We haven’t seen those numbers yet in steel production, and conversely that’s going to relate to some of the iron ore production. So right now it’s a little premature, but there’s a general good feeling of economic climate.”

Middlebrook predicts a slight increase of exports to countries overseas, while Ojard thinks shipments to the Twin Ports will about the same as last year, unless grain keeps going strong.

U.S. flagged vessels – ships that trade only in the Great Lakes – saw an increase of 3 percent in May, but their traffic is down 7 percent overall.