Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3,853,467 net tons in June, an increase of 14.8 percent over May, and 7.2 percent better than a year ago, according to the Lake Carriers Association (LCA). Loadings were a mirror image of the month’s five-year average. (For a downloadable PDF of tables, “Great Lakes Limestone Trade: June 2007-2012 and 5-Year Average,” click here. ^[1])

Shipments from U.S. ports rose 11 percent to 3.2 million tons, but Canadian quarries’ total of 625,000 tons represented a dip of two or three boatloads.

Year-to-date, the Lakes limestone trade stands at 9,962,256 tons, an increase of 14.9 percent compared to a year ago, but a few boatloads shy of the five-year average for the first half of the year.

Source: Lake Carriers Association (LCA)