Great Lakes Iron Ore Trade Increased in June 2026
Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes increased 4.5 percent from June of last year to 5.1 million tons. Shipments were a near match to the month’s 5-year average.
Year-to-date, the iron ore trade stands at 17.3 million tons, an increase of 4.2 percent compared to 2025. Iron shipments are below their 5-year average by 4.6 percent for the first six months of the year.
Great Lakes Iron Ore Shipments: June 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 | 964,547 | 515,405 | 1,120,658 | 1,120,760 | 875,070 | 951,740 | 919,288 |
Superior, WI | 1,374,544 | 1,276,666 | 1,472,725 | 1,211,514 | 1,244,202 | 953,445 | 1,315,930 |
Two Harbors, MN | 1,849,425 | 1,121,048 | 1,836,255 | 1,549,993 | 1,328,926 | 1,353,408 | 1,537,129 |
Silver Bay, MN | 519,082 | 291,468 | 190,095 | 430,117 | 449,707 | 444,053 | 376,094 |
Marquette, MI* | 666,102 | 562,558 | 777,187 | 802,822 | 758,984 | 994,823 | 713,531 |
Cleveland, OH** | 399,386 | 124,748 | 354,271 | 323,542 | 258,974 | 439,787 | 292,184 |
Ashtabula, OH | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 5,773,086 | 3,891,893 | 5,751,191 | 5,438,748 | 4,915,863 | 5,137,256 | 5,154,156 |
*Marquette = Presque Isle in previous reports | |||||||
***Transshipments within Cleveland Harbor |
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Year-To-Date 2021-2026 | |||||||
| Average | ||||||
Port | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2021-2025 |
Duluth, MN | 3,208,568 | 2,160,592 | 3,499,255 | 3,431,780 | 3,324,351 | 2,906,205 | 3,124,909 |
Superior, WI | 4,762,549 | 3,839,519 | 4,850,880 | 3,978,685 | 3,284,045 | 3,362,384 | 4,143,136 |
Two Harbors, MN | 6,630,395 | 4,874,410 | 6,135,912 | 5,891,306 | 5,262,821 | 4,665,290 | 5,758,969 |
Silver Bay, MN | 1,964,363 | 712,212 | 536,769 | 2,040,483 | 1,449,924 | 1,391,668 | 1,340,750 |
Marquette, MI* | 2,813,645 | 1,706,723 | 2,809,626 | 2,745,353 | 2,387,155 | 3,126,184 | 2,492,500 |
Cleveland, OH** | 1,325,311 | 491,212 | 2,023,344 | 1,756,735 | 938,541 | 1,859,112 | 1,307,029 |
Ashtabula, OH | 28,553 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34,181 | 5,711 |
Total | 20,733,384 | 13,784,668 | 19,855,786 | 19,844,342 | 16,646,837 | 17,345,024 | 18,173,003 |
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.
