As the end of the 2024 marine shipping season draws near, year-over-year tonnage traffic for marine shipping on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway has remained consistent with 2023, highlighting the resiliency and dependability of the marine mode when facing unique and unpredictable challenges.

As noted in a release recently issued by the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation and the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, by the end of November there have been total cargo shipments of 32.3 million metric tons since the start of the navigation season. While there was variation in the traffic of specific commodities, key statistics include:

  • More than 9.7 million metric tons (mt) of Canadian and U.S. grain traffic, which is up by more than 1 million mt or 12.1% year over year;
  • More than 1.5 million mt of Potash traffic, representing an increase of 120,000 mt or 8.35% year over year;
  • More than 3.5 million mt of liquid bulk traffic, which is up 431,000 mt or 13.75%; and
  • More than 2.8 million mt of general cargo traffic, which is up 363,000 mt or 14.37%.

“The success of marine shipping on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway is driven by ship operators, ports, companies shipping vital commodities, and the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System all working together to provide the most reliable means of moving what matters,” noted Bruce Burrows, President and CEO of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “Through their dedication and adaptability, they maintain our hallmark reliability even when there are unexpected supply chain disruptions like those seen over the course of this year. As the industry pursues upgrades and enhancements, potential season extension, and other new developments, our reputation and value within the North American economy will only grow in the coming year and beyond.”