Great Lakes limestone trade slips in April

The Lake Carriers’ Association tracks limestone shipments at multiple ports, including ones in Michigan (Calcite, Cedarville, Drummond Island, Port Inland, Presque Isle) and Ohio (Marblehead). Photo: Lake Carriers’ Association

The Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA) reports that shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes in April totaled 1.9 million net tons, a dip of 3.5 percent versus last April.

Loadings were below April’s five-year average by 11.2 percent, LCA adds.

April loadings at U.S. ports totaled 1.6 million tons, a decrease of 1.4 percent. Shipments from Canadian quarries decreased by 12.7 percent to 323,039 tons.

On the year, LCA says the Great Lakes limestone trade stands at 2 million tons. That figure is up less than 1 percent from 2022. Shipments from U.S. ports are up 4 percent from the previous year while shipments from Canadian ports are up 7.6 percent.

LCA represents the U.S.-flag Great Lakes fleet, which moves more than 90 million tons of cargo annually – including stone, sand, coal, cement, iron ore and other dry bulk materials.