Great Lakes Limestone Trade Down in October
Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.2 million tons in October, a decrease of 3.8 percent compared to 2024. Limestone cargos were also below the month’s 5-year average by 10.7 percent.
Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 2.6 million tons, a 6.1 percent reduction. Shipments from Canadian quarries increased 6.8 percent to 626,805 tons.
Year-to-date, the limestone trade stands at 22.8 million tons, a decrease of 5.6 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries decreased 4.5 percent from last year to 18.6 million tons; while shipments from Ontario quarries total 4.2 million tons, a decrease of 10 percent.
GREAT LAKES LIMESTONE TRADE: OCTOBER 2020-2025 AND LONG-TERM AVERAGE
(NET TONS)
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Average |
U.S. Ports | 2,574,791 | 2,915,616 | 3,197,709 | 2,992,462 | 2,740,218 | 2,573,839 | 2,884,159 |
Canadian Ports | 708,406 | 638,517 | 736,157 | 835,201 | 587,069 | 626,805 | 701,070 |
Total | 3,283,197 | 3,554,133 | 3,933,866 | 3,827,663 | 3,327,287 | 3,200,644 | 3,585,229 |
YEAR-TO-DATE 2020-2025 AND LONG-TERM AVERAGE
(NET TONS)
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023* | 2024 | 2025 | Average |
U.S. Ports | 17,958,044 | 19,447,386 | 19,867,668 | 19,401,470 | 19,477,391 | 18,601,030 | 19,230,392 |
Canadian Ports | 4,652,774 | 5,193,170 | 5,137,804 | 4,886,669 | 4,672,909 | 4,208,832 | 4,908,665 |
Total | 22,610,818 | 24,640,556 | 25,005,472 | 24,288,139 | 24,150,300 | 22,809,862 | 24,139,057 |
*Revised 7/11/24
U.S. ports: Calcite, MI; Cedarville, MI; Drummond Island, MI; Marblehead, OH; Port Inland, MI; and Presque Isle, MI. Canadian ports: Bruce Mines, Manitoulin Island, Port Colborne (from August 2017 on), and Smelter Bay (all Ontario).
