Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 2.9 million tons in May, 36.4 percent increase from April

Sneak Peek from the August 2011 print edition of Aggregates Manager.

Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 2.9 million tons in May, an increase of 36.4 percent over April, but a decrease of 20 percent compared to a year ago, reports the Great Lakes Carriers Association. Shipments trailed the month’s 5-year average by 28 percent.

Shipments from U.S. quarries fell 14 percent compared to a year ago and are 26 percent off May’s 5-year average. Loadings at Canadian quarries slipped by nearly 40 percent compared to both a year ago and the month’s 5-year average.

Through May the limestone trade stands at 5.1 million tons, a decrease of 17 percent compared to the same point in 2010, and a drop of 28 percent compared to the 5-year average for the January-May timeframe.

Great Lakes Limestone Trade: May 2006-2011 and 5-Year Average
(net tons)

	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	Average 2006-2010
U.S. Ports	4,103,305	3,498,762	3,324,222	2,229,887	2,740,212	2,347,898	3,179,278
Canadian Ports	1,004,485	869,900	893,800	627,727	898,836	553,828	858,950
Total	5,109,796	4,370,669	4,220,030	2,857,614	3,639,048	2,901,726	4,038,228

Great Lakes Limestone Trade: Year-To-Date 2006-2011 and 5-Year Average
(net tons)

	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	Average 2006-2010
U.S. Ports	7,414,067	6,334,077	5,830,938	3,471,438	4,783,017	4,141,116	5,566,707
Canadian Ports	2,103,726	1,574,775	1,549,900	954,038	1,338,243	937,316	1,504,136
Total	9,519,799	7,910,859	7,382,846	4,425,476	6,121,260	5,078,432	7,070,843

U.S. ports: Calcite, MI, Cedarville, MI, Drummond Island, MI, Kellys Island, OH, Marblehead, OH, Port Inland, MI and Presque Isle, MI. Kellys Island ceased shipping in fall 2009. Canadian ports: Bruce Mines, Manitoulin Island, Port Colborne, and Smelter Bay (all Ontario). Port Colborne ceased shipping by vessel in 2006.