Amidst these challenging times, overall tonnage across the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System is down 8 percent compared to this time last year. From the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway on April 1, 2020 through September 30, 2020, American and Canadian ports handled a total of 23.3 million metric tons (mt). In September, ports in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System traded with a total of 31 countries.

The St. Lawrence Seaway: U.S. Farmers’ Key to Global Competitiveness

  • Month (2020) Metric Tons Handled U.S. Grain Growth*
  • July 496,000 mt 27.5 percent decrease*
  • August 713,000 mt 19.7 percent decrease*
  • September 1,112,000 mt 4.2 percent increase*

*Percentages rounded to nearest tenth (compared year-over-year)

Shipments of agricultural products continued to pick up pace, especially U.S. grain. In September, American ports closed a 19.7 percent August deficit (compared year-over-year), improving U.S. grain tonnage to a 4.2 percent increase year-over-year.

Craig H. Middlebrook, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation said, “U.S. grain export shipments year-to-date have surpassed last year’s totals for this same time period. With three months remaining in the Great Lakes – Seaway shipping season, we anticipate shipments of grain exports to remain strong, especially with Canadian crop yields being particularly robust this year. The high demand for agricultural products is continuing and, with many crops approaching harvest time, the momentum on grain is building. In addition, wind energy shipments are on track to remain strong through the end of the navigation season.”

Top-performing Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway commodities through September 2020

  • Commodity Metric Tons Handled Growth*
  • Grain** 7,323,000 mt 17.7 percent increase**
  • Gypsum 543,000 mt 47.1 percent increase*
  • Liquid Chemicals 374,000 mt 9 percent increase*
  • Steel Slab 285,000 mt 138.1 percent increase*
  • Asphalt 252,000 mt 56.5 percent increase*

*Percentages rounded to nearest tenth (compared year-over-year)

**Combined U.S. and Canadian

Wind Turbines Handled by American Ports Continue Powering Critical Projects

Wind-related shipments at American ports remain strong through September. Among others, the Ogdensburg Bridge & Port Authority is stepping up to handle such commodities.

To support the proposed Roaring Brook Wind Power Project in Lewis County, NY, the Ogdensburg Bridge & Port Authority will move a total of 15 wind turbines in 2020. The wind turbines will ultimately span across approximately 5,280 acres of private land. ⠀

In August, the port handled three wind-related shipments for the project and received one more in September. Additionally, in the coming months, the Port of Ogdensburg will begin receiving and shipping road salt to regional NY municipalities throughout the winter of 2020-21.

“The Port of Ogdensburg has been kept busy this shipping season moving wind turbine components,” said Steve Lawrence, Interim Executive Director, Ogdensburg Bridge & Port Authority. “The wind turbine components are made abroad and have been transported to the United States over the 2020 summer months on large ocean vessels. The September shipment joins other turbine blades stored at the terminal.”