US Great Lakes reports increase in cement shipments

The US Great Lakes has reported shipments of more than 1.8Mt of cement in the first nine months of 2023, according to the Ontario-based Chamber of Marine Commerce. This marks an increase of approximately 192,000t on the same period a year earlier. The movement of steel slabs has also risen, up by 93,000t YoY to over 354,000t. Total shipping activity for the US Great Lakes in the 9M23 came in at 32.6Mt, up by 422,000t on the same period a year earlier. 

The port of Duluth-Superior saw a 35 per cent YoY increase in cement tonnage over the nine-month period. Increases in cement shipments usually coincide with regional infrastructure improvements, according to the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. In this case, a 56,000ft² warehouse expansion that opened in September 2023 expanding Duluth Cargo Connect’s total warehousing capacity to over 500,000ft². 

“The amount of cargo traffic on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway this year demonstrates the importance of the Seaway as a trade conduit,” noted Bruce Burrows, president and CEO of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “It also speaks to the professionalism and reliability of those who work on the Seaway, and their partners in marine shipping organisations that use the infrastructure to move what matters in North America.”