The Great Lakes limestone trade has gotten off to one of its slowest starts in years. Shipments from U.S. and Canadian ports totaled only 1.6 million tons in April, a decrease of nearly 50% from a year ago. Demand from the construction industry is extremely weak, and with many steel mills idled, shipments of fluxstone are off significantly. The only positive development is that rising water levels are allowing vessels to carry bigger loads, but even so, no cargo in April represented a full load, says the Lake Carriers’ Association. With 17 million cubic yards of sediment clogging Great Lakes’ ports and waterways, the dredging crisis will remain a factor for years to come. Removal of the sediment could have been accelerated this year, but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers chose to allocate 2% of the $4.6 billion Congress gave it for dredging and navigation improvements under the stimulus package. Lake Carriers’ Association represents 18 U.S. companies that operate 65 U.S.-Flag vessels on the Great Lakes and carry iron ore, fluxstone, limestone, cement and coal. Collectively, these vessels can transport more than 115 million tons of cargo a year when high water offsets lack of adequate dredging.
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