Great Lakes Iron Ore Increases in August
Iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes totaled 5.1 million tons in August, a 2 percent increase compared to 2025. Shipments were 5.1 percent below the month’s 5-year average.
Year-to-date, the iron ore trade rose 3% to 27.5 million tons.
Through August, iron shipments are below their 5-year average by 5.2 percent.
Great Lakes Iron Ore Shipments: August 2021-2026 and 5-Year Average | |||||||
Includes Transshipments to Quebec City for Shipment Overseas | |||||||
(net tons) | |||||||
| Average | ||||||
Port | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2021-2025 |
Duluth, MN | 1,132,118 | 783,957 | 1,053,368 | 811,141 | 847,568 | 740,536 | 925,630 |
Superior, WI | 1,248,826 | 1,606,770 | 1,484,506 | 1,315,858 | 1,082,426 | 813,581 | 1,347,677 |
Two Harbors, MN | 1,273,085 | 1,504,048 | 1,303,265 | 1,692,847 | 1,424,347 | 1,674,498 | 1,439,518 |
Silver Bay, MN | 801,687 | 150,111 | 558,876 | 427,456 | 363,947 | 394,849 | 460,415 |
Marquette, MI* | 728,542 | 748,384 | 743,046 | 785,081 | 781,222 | 970,240 | 757,255 |
Cleveland, OH** | 437,166 | 315,297 | 403,981 | 432,340 | 466,128 | 473,356 | 410,982 |
Ashtabula, OH | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 5,621,424 | 5,108,567 | 5,547,042 | 5,464,723 | 4,965,638 | 5,067,060 | 5,341,479 |
*Marquette = Presque Isle in previous reports | |||||||
**Transshipments within Cleveland Harbor | |||||||
Year-To-Date 2021-2026 | |||||||
| Average | ||||||
Port | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2021-2025 |
Duluth, MN | 5,454,653 | 3,953,770 | 5,522,531 | 5,095,937 | 5,312,966 | 4,532,656 | 5,067,971 |
Superior, WI | 7,394,740 | 6,974,867 | 7,666,911 | 6,774,340 | 5,304,549 | 5,009,304 | 6,823,081 |
Two Harbors, MN | 9,476,573 | 8,092,503 | 9,127,346 | 9,455,645 | 8,111,860 | 7,966,394 | 8,852,785 |
Silver Bay, MN | 3,373,700 | 1,013,474 | 1,617,527 | 2,859,179 | 2,285,195 | 2,158,047 | 2,229,815 |
Marquette, MI* | 4,205,874 | 3,045,504 | 4,374,213 | 4,307,973 | 4,021,676 | 5,039,576 | 3,991,048 |
Cleveland, OH** | 2,099,557 | 1,107,183 | 2,857,962 | 2,548,666 | 1,683,613 | 2,789,541 | 2,059,396 |
Ashtabula, OH | 28,553 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34,181 | 5,711 |
Total | 32,033,650 | 24,187,301 | 31,166,490 | 31,041,740 | 26,719,859 | 27,529,699 | 29,029,808 |
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.
