GLIN==> 2009 Great Lakes Iron Ore Total Lowest Since 1938

Iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes, long the backbone of the
navigation system, fell to their lowest level in 71 years in 2009.  Iron
ore cargos totaled only 31,792,629 net tons, the lowest level recorded
since 1938 when the trade finished the year at 21,574,573 tons.  The
2009 total also almost perfectly replicates the trade's 1935
performance: 31,765,852 tons.

 

The lowest total for the Lakes iron ore trade on record is 3,996,441
tons in 1932.  (The peak is 107,345,783 tons in 1953.)

 

The state of the North American steel industry determines that pace of
the iron ore trade.  It takes between 1.3 and 1.5 tons of iron ore to
make a ton of steel.  The steel industry began 2009 operating about 35
percent of capacity.  Although a number of blast furnaces were restarted
as the year progressed, the industry still ended 2009 with about 30
percent of its capacity idle.

 

The weak demand for iron ore took its toll on the U.S.-Flag Great Lakes
fleet.  One 1,000-foot-long vessel dedicated to the iron ore trade, the
STEWART J. CORT, has not operated since December 8, 2008.  The ROGER
BLOUGH, a vessel that delivers iron ore to Gary, Indiana, and Conneaut,
Ohio, was idle until October 29.  A vessel designed specifically to
shuttle iron ore on the twisting Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio, the
AMERICAN REPUBLIC, did not set sail until November 25, 2009.  Other "ore
boats" sailed an abbreviated season.

 

See attached for more details.

 

Glen G. Nekvasil

Vice President-Corporate Communications

Lake Carriers' Association

Suite 720

20325 Center Ridge Road

Rocky River, OH  44116

   P:  440-333-9996

   F:  440-333-9993

   C:  216-702-6360

   E:  nekvasil at lcaships.com <mailto:nekvasil at lcaships.com> 

 




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