Iron Ore Trade on the Great Lakes Down in March 2026
Iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes in March 2026 decreased 23.5 percent from a year ago. Loadings were also below the month’s 5-year average by 35.1 percent.
The iron ore trade stands at 2.7 million tons, a decrease of 7.7 percent compared to 2025. For the first three months of the year, iron ore shipments are 21.2 percent below their 5-year average.
Since 1880, Lake Carriers’ has represented the U.S.-flag Great Lakes fleet, which today can move more than 90 million tons of cargos annually that are the foundation of American industry, infrastructure, and power: iron ore, stone, coal, cement, and other dry bulk materials such as grain, salt, and sand.
Great Lakes Iron Ore Shipments: March 2021-2026 and 5-Year Average | |||||||
Includes Transshipments to Quebec City for Shipment Overseas | |||||||
(net tons) | |||||||
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Port | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2021-2025 |
Duluth, MN | 152,933 | 89,805 | 176,207 | 289,592 | 102,763 | 104,553 | 162,260 |
Superior, WI | 297,293 | 64,613 | 264,994 | 91,884 | 98,615 | 82,568 | 163,480 |
Two Harbors, MN | 396,737 | 213,598 | 309,365 | 530,938 | 331,010 | 166,587 | 356,330 |
Silver Bay, MN | 63,012 | 37,218 | 0 | 61,915 | 37,461 | 109,985 | 39,921 |
Marquette, MI* | 201,592 | 36,743 | 162,057 | 151,687 | 59,545 | 74,025 | 122,325 |
Cleveland, OH** | 171,456 | 137,240 | 346,980 | 455,025 | 332,792 | 198,112 | 288,699 |
Ashtabula, OH | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 1,283,023 | 579,217 | 1,259,603 | 1,581,041 | 962,186 | 735,830 | 1,133,014 |
*Marquette = Presque Isle in previous reports | |||||||
**Transshipments within Cleveland Harbor |
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Year-To-Date 2021-2026 | |||||||
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Port | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2021-2025 |
Duluth, MN | 445,476 | 408,609 | 594,812 | 662,712 | 571,324 | 366,446 | 536,587 |
Superior, WI | 958,781 | 509,632 | 815,989 | 799,703 | 409,464 | 538,558 | 698,714 |
Two Harbors, MN | 1,412,625 | 902,674 | 988,765 | 1,407,676 | 1,053,284 | 701,174 | 1,153,005 |
Silver Bay, MN | 208,995 | 112,691 | 0 | 342,177 | 259,818 | 195,448 | 184,736 |
Marquette, MI* | 622,118 | 275,967 | 558,781 | 421,011 | 249,407 | 350,346 | 425,457 |
Cleveland, OH** | 221,922 | 226,196 | 779,657 | 733,015 | 430,579 | 592,960 | 478,274 |
Ashtabula, OH | 28,553 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5,711 |
Total | 3,898,470 | 2,435,769 | 3,738,004 | 4,366,294 | 2,973,876 | 2,744,932 | 3,482,483 |
