Great Lakes Iron Ore Trade Down in August
Iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes in August totaled 5 million tons, a 9.1 percent decrease compared to last year. Shipments were below the month’s 5-year average by 2 percent.
Year-to-date, the iron ore trade totals 26.7 million tons, a decrease of 13.9 percent compared to the same point in 2024.
Through August, iron shipments are 6.4 percent below their 5-year average for eight months of the year.
Great Lakes Iron Ore Shipments: August 2020-2025 and 5-Year Average | |||||||
Includes Transshipments to Quebec City for Shipment Overseas | |||||||
(net tons) | |||||||
| Average | ||||||
Port | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020-2024 |
Duluth, MN | 784,565 | 1,132,118 | 783,957 | 1,053,368 | 811,141 | 847,568 | 913,030 |
Superior, WI | 657,807 | 1,248,826 | 1,606,770 | 1,484,506 | 1,315,858 | 1,082,426 | 1,262,753 |
Two Harbors, MN | 994,491 | 1,273,085 | 1,504,048 | 1,303,265 | 1,692,847 | 1,424,347 | 1,353,547 |
Silver Bay, MN | 360,469 | 801,687 | 150,111 | 558,876 | 427,456 | 363,947 | 459,720 |
Marquette, MI* | 510,505 | 728,542 | 748,384 | 743,046 | 785,081 | 781,222 | 703,112 |
Cleveland, OH** | 147,974 | 437,166 | 315,297 | 403,981 | 432,340 | 466,128 | 347,352 |
Ashtabula, OH | 149,741 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29,948 |
Total | 3,605,552 | 5,621,424 | 5,108,567 | 5,547,042 | 5,464,723 | 4,965,638 | 5,069,462 |
*Marquette = Presque Isle in previous reports | ||||||
**Transshipments within Cleveland Harbor | ||||||
Year-To-Date 2020-2025 | |||||||
| Average | ||||||
Port | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2020-2024 |
Duluth, MN | 5,142,219 | 5,454,653 | 3,953,770 | 5,522,531 | 5,095,937 | 5,312,966 | 5,033,822 |
Superior, WI | 4,210,602 | 7,394,740 | 6,974,867 | 7,666,911 | 6,774,340 | 5,304,549 | 6,604,292 |
Two Harbors, MN | 7,709,362 | 9,476,573 | 8,092,503 | 9,127,346 | 9,455,645 | 8,111,860 | 8,772,286 |
Silver Bay, MN | 2,311,974 | 3,373,700 | 1,013,474 | 1,617,527 | 2,859,179 | 2,285,195 | 2,235,171 |
Marquette, MI* | 2,838,319 | 4,205,874 | 3,045,504 | 4,374,213 | 4,307,973 | 4,021,676 | 3,754,377 |
Cleveland, OH** | 1,542,625 | 2,099,557 | 1,107,183 | 2,857,962 | 2,548,666 | 1,683,613 | 2,031,199 |
Ashtabula, OH | 548,380 | 28,553 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 115,387 |
Total | 24,303,481 | 32,033,650 | 24,187,301 | 31,166,490 | 31,041,740 | 26,719,859 | 28,546,532 |
Information based on data from knowledgeable sources. However, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Lake Carriers’ Association assumes no legal responsibility for the outcome of decisions or commitments made on the basis of this information. Report represents the views of Lake Carriers’ Association and may not necessarily represent the views of its individual members.
