Data released by The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation reveal that volumes shipped through the Seaway on a year-to-date basis dropped by more than 11 per cent to the end of September, from 24.9 to 22.0 million tonnes. The dry bulk segment was the only one that experienced volume increases, from 6.0 to 6.5 million tonnes, aided by increased seasonal shipments of road salt and construction materials.
Shipments of coal showed the heaviest losses, with volumes down by 1.1 million tonnes, or 39.5 per cent. Shipments of iron ore were down by 756,000 tonnes, or 15.3 per cent.
Terence Bowles, President and CEO for The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, said: “This shipping season has been slower because depressed global iron ore and coal prices have stalled exports of those commodities via the Seaway, but underlying that total tonnage number is growth in shipments for domestic sectors like construction, salt mining, agriculture and manufacturing.”