November, 2002

Another coal record helped bring year-to-date tonnage figures in the Port of Duluth-Superior ahead of last year, the Duluth Seaway Port Authority reported today.

Higher Great Lakes water levels, continued strong coal shipments and increased iron ore shipments have boosted the Port of Duluth-Superior's maritime commerce ahead of last year, the Duluth Seaway Port Authority reported today.

For only the second time in more than a century, coal has eclipsed iron ore as the No. 1 cargo through the Port of Duluth-Superior, the Duluth Seaway Port Authority announced today.

While Port of Duluth-Superior ship traffic through November nearly mirrored last year's level (1,000 ships compared with 999), low Great Lakes water levels held total tonnage at 33.6 million metric tons, a six percent decrease from the 35.5 million tons reached last year.

Low Great Lakes water levels continued to dampen nearly all cargo categories in the Port of Duluth-Superior through October, with waterborne commerce six percent below the same period a year ago, the Duluth Seaway Port Authority reported today.

Low Great Lakes water levels adversely affected nearly all domestic shipping in the Port of Duluth-Superior through September, with waterborne commerce five percent below the same period a year ago, the Duluth Seaway Port Authority reported today.

Low Great Lakes water levels continued to dampen Port of Duluth-Superior tonnage in virtually all cargo categories, with waterborne commerce through July eight percent below the same period in 1999, the Duluth Seaway Port Authority reported today.

Low Great Lakes water levels restrained Port of Duluth-Superior tonnage in virtually all cargo categories, while coal continued as the port's new number one commodity, the Duluth Seaway Port Authority reported today.

Coal shipments have taken an early-season lead in Port of Duluth-Superior maritime commerce, but low Great Lakes water levels have restrained tonnage in virtually all cargo categories.

Record export cargoes led to a record volume of total international trade in 1999 in the Port of Duluth-Superior.

Total waterborne commerce at the Port of Duluth-Superior through November slightly exceeded the level reached in 1998, with vessel visits holding dead-even with last year's level, the Duluth Seaway Port Authority reported today.

Total waterborne commerce at the Port of Duluth-Superior through October was nearly a mirror image of 1998 and exceeded the five-year average by two percent, the Duluth Seaway Port Authority reported today.

Canadian bound coal and overseas grain transshipped via Canada helped boost total waterborne commerce two percent above the level reached in 1998, the Duluth Seaway Port Authority reported today.

Another coal record and a new Polish vessel helped bring year-to-date tonnage figures in the Port of Duluth-Superior to 22.3 million metric tons through August, the Duluth Seaway Port Authority reported today.

Total waterborne commerce at the Port of Duluth-Superior through July mirrored the level reached in 1998, with the port’s top cargoes of iron ore and coal nearly dead-even, the Duluth Seaway Port Authority reported today.

Year-to-date tonnage figures reported by the Seaway Port Authority of Duluth show coal shipments through June totaled 5.4 million metric tons, 41 percent of the port’s total traffic and only slightly behind outbound iron ore (5.5 million tons and 43 percent of the total).

The Port of Duluth-Superior handled two percent more waterborne commerce through May than during the same period in 1998 the Seaway Port Authority of Duluth reported today.

Total waterborne commerce in 1998 through the Port of Duluth-Superior increased four percent over 1997 to a total of nearly 39 million metric tons, the Seaway Port Authority of Duluth said in its year-end tonnage report.

The Port of Duluth-Superior handled six percent more waterborne commerce through November than during the same period in 1997, the Seaway Port Authority of Duluth reported today.

The Port of Duluth-Superior handled five percent more waterborne commerce through October than during the same period in 1997, the Seaway Port Authority of Duluth reported today.

The Port of Duluth-Superior handled four percent more waterborne commerce through September than during the same period in 1997, the Seaway Port Authority of Duluth reported today.

The Port of Duluth-Superior handled three percent more waterborne commerce through August than during the same period in 1997, the Seaway Port Authority of Duluth reported today.

The Port of Duluth-Superior handled nine percent more waterborne commerce through July than during the same period in 1997, the Seaway Port Authority of Duluth reported today.

The Port of Duluth-Superior handled six percent more waterborne commerce through June than during the same period in 1997, the Seaway Port Authority of Duluth reported today.

The Port of Duluth-Superior handled 14 percent more waterborne commerce through May than during the same period in 1997, the Seaway Port Authority of Duluth reported today.

The Port of Duluth-Superior handled 14.6 percent more waterborne commerce through April than during the same period in 1997, the Seaway Port Authority of Duluth reported today.

Total waterborne commerce in 1997 through the Port of Duluth-Superior increased nearly two percent over 1996 to a total of 37.7 million metric tons, the Seaway Port Authority of Duluth said in its year-end tonnage report.

Despite monthly deficits in November for ore and grain commodities, Duluth-Superior’s port commerce for the year stayed on pace with 1996 figures and the five-year average, according to a monthly tonnage report released by the Seaway Port Authority of Duluth today.

Nearly 30 million metric tons of waterborne commerce were handled by the Port of Duluth-Superior through October, an increase of two percent from the same period in 1996, the Seaway Port Authority of Duluth said today in its monthly tonnage recap.

The Port of Duluth-Superior handled more than 25 million metric tons of waterborne commerce through September, two percent more than through the same period in 1996, the Seaway Port Authority of Duluth said today in its monthly tonnage recap.

Total waterborne commerce in the Port of Duluth-Superior through July increased 5.4 percent from the same period in 1996, the Seaway Port Authority of Duluth reported today.

Total waterborne commerce in the Port of Duluth-Superior through June increased nearly 15 percent from the same period in 1996, the Seaway Port Authority of Duluth reported today.

The Port of Duluth-Superior handled 14.7 percent more waterborne commerce through May than during the same period in 1996, the Seaway Port Authority of Duluth reported today.