St Lawrence Seaway cargo down 14pc to August

CARGO volumes and the number of transits through the St Lawrence Seaway were down 14 per cent year on year to the end of August, totalling 23.6 million tonnes, reports Maritime Global Net.

Vessel transits for the season were also down nine per cent to 2,443 from 2,684. Traffic had decreased in Montreal-Lake Ontario section and the Welland Canal linking Lake Ontario to Lake Erie.

Decreases hit all cargo except iron ore, which rose 4.2 per cent to 7 million tons.

These figures reverse recent trends, which have shown an increase in traffic and liftings in the Seaway and resurgence of activity in the Great Lakes.

General cargo was down 48 per cent to 1.6 million tons. Grain shipments declined 19.8 per cent to 4.9 million tons; other bulk slipped 13.7 per cent to 8.1 million tons while coal was down 11.4 per cent to 2 million tons.