Great Lakes limestone trade up more than 17 percent in September 2017

Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.5 million tons in September, an increase of 17.5 percent compared to a year ago, reports the Lake Carriers’ Association. September’s loadings were also 5.5 percent ahead of the month’s five-year average.

Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 2.9 million tons, an increase of nearly 15 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 609,000 tons, an increase of nearly 32 percent over a year ago.

Year-to-date, the Great Lakes limestone trade stands at 20.1 million tons, an increase of 3.3 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries total 16.5 million tons, an increase of 5.3 percent. Shipments from Ontario quarries total 3.6 million tons, a decrease of 4.9 percent.