U.S.-flagged Great Lakes freighters moved 81.4 million tons of cargo in 2023, an increase of 6.5 percent compared with 2022. The total cargo float for 2023 was 1.2 percent above the fleet’s five-year average, the Lake Carriers’ Association reported.
Iron ore cargoes totaled 42.4 million tons, an increase of 13.4 percent compared with the previous year. Coal cargoes were down 9.7 percent to 8.4 million tons. Limestone shipments increased by 3.9 percent to 24.6 million tons. Cement shipments were nearly equal to 2022 at 3.7 million tons. Salt and grain cargoes were down by 5.8 percent and 11.8 percent, respectively. Sand shipments increased by 12.4 percent in 2023.