Great Lakes limestone trade surges in June 2018

Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 4.05 million tons in June, according to the Lake Carriers’ Association.

The figure represents an increase of more than 17 percent compared to a year ago. June 2018 also represented the first month in which loadings topped 4 million tons since July 2015.

Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 3.2 million tons, an increase of 16.2 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 815,000 tons, an increase of 22 percent.

Through half the year, the Great Lakes limestone trade stands at 9.3 million tons, an increase of 5.9 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries total 7.7 million tons, an increase of 8.2 percent. Shipments from quarries in Ontario, Canada, total 1.6 million tons, a decrease of about three boatloads.