As Duluth port cargos lag, 'lost time can't be made up'

The pandemic's effects on the economy have not spared shipping.

August 21, 2020 at 11:13PM
The Edwin H Gott passed under the Aerial Lift Bridge in Duluth on Tuesday evening as it began it's journey on Lake Superior to Nanticoke ,CA which sits on Lake Eerie. ] ALEX KORMANN • alex.kormann@startribune.com Despite a rebound this summer, cargo moving through the Duluth port is down 30% compared to last year. Ships passed under the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge on Tuesday evening.
The Edwin H Gott passed under the Aerial Lift Bridge in Duluth on Tuesday evening as it began its journey on Lake Superior to Nanticoke, Pa., which sits on Lake Eerie. Despite a rebound this summer, cargo moving through the Duluth port is down 30% compared to last year. Ships passed under the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge on Tuesday evening. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

DULUTH – Despite signs of a rebound this summer, cargo moving through the Port of Duluth-Superior is still down 30% compared with last year.

"It's an old adage, but lost time can't be made up on the Great Lakes, and we're seeing that reflected in the port's 2020 tonnage totals," Deb DeLuca, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, said in a statement Thursday.

As the pandemic has disrupted the global economy, so too has it slowed the flow of goods across the Great Lakes.

About 10.9 million tons of cargo had passed through the Duluth port through the end of July, compared to 15.1 million tons at the same time in both 2019 and 2018.

Taconite shipments, which comprise the majority of the port's tonnage, reached 7.2 million tons in July, down 20% from last year but up slightly month over month.

"It's good to see the month-over-month improvements, and hopefully the initial indications of a production rebound," DeLuca said.

Iron ore totals could continue to improve as most Iron Range mines resume full production, though Keetac remains idled indefinitely. Three ships were taken offline for the season amid the drop in taconite demand but could be put back into service if business improves.

Grain exports and international imports such as wind turbine parts remain a bright spot for the port. Even as total vessel arrivals fell to 260 from last year's 336 total through July, overseas arrivals were outpacing last year 28 to 25.

Across all Great Lakes ports, shipping has "lost a lot of ground due to the pandemic, and continued decreases in areas like dry bulk and iron ore are a reflection of the economy not yet being back up to speed," said Bruce Burrows, CEO of the industry-backed Chamber of Marine Commerce.

"The recent uptick in the auto industry could help in the months ahead."

The Edwin H. Gott passed under the Aerial Lift Bridge on Tuesday as it began its journey to the Canadian port of Nanticoke. (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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about the writer

Brooks Johnson

Business Reporter

Brooks Johnson is a business reporter covering Minnesota’s food industry, agribusinesses and 3M.

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