IMMEDIATE RELEASE        February 14 , 2003

Duluth, Minn., U.S.A.—Improved iron ore shipments and another record coal-shipping year through the Port of Duluth-Superior boosted total commerce for the 2002 season above both 2001’s level and the five-year average, the Duluth Seaway Port Authority reported today.

Extended Tonnage

Total waterborne commerce reached 39.5 million metric tons, an eight percent increase from last year’s 36.5 million tons and four percent above the five-year average of 38 million tons.

Iron ore cargoes in Duluth-Superior increased 21 percent from last season’s 13.9 million tons to 16.8 million tons, significantly higher than Great Lakes total iron ore shipments which were reportedly about seven percent ahead of last year’s level.

Outbound western coal via Superior’s Midwest Energy Resources Co. set a record at the facility for the ninth consecutive year, reaching 16.4 million tons (nine percent above last year’s 15.1 million tons).

The Port’s third leading cargo, bulk grain shipments, reached 3.3 million tons as compared to last year’s 3.8 million tons. The 14 percent decrease was largely attributed to a weak U.S. export market combined with a lakes-wide decline in steel imports, meaning fewer outbound ocean ships available at competitive rates.

Both international and domestic trade increased from last year’s level, with international trade totaling 13.1 million tons, 10 percent above last year’s 11.9 million tons. Domestic trade’s 26.4 million tons was up seven percent from 24.6 million tons a year ago.

Port developments during the 2002 season included:
Construction by Innovative Pine Technologies/Lake States Lumber of a $3 million, 22,000-square-foot remanufacturing and distribution facility for foreign and domestic forest products on a nine-plus acre waterfront parcel leased from the Port Authority at the Clure Public Marine Terminal.
Opening of the $3.8 million, 104,000-square-foot East Warehouse Annex at the Clure Terminal.
Attraction by Clure Terminal operator Lake Superior Warehousing Co., Inc., of a Syncrude UE-1 heavy-lift project, with two of three ships scheduled bringing in enormous pieces of equipment manufactured in Spain and Italy and destined for an oil sands project in Canada via record-setting rail shipments.
A long-term lease with precision machining manufacturer Northstar Aerospace for the Port Authority’s new 20,000-square-foot-plus light manufacturing building on three acres of the Airpark industrial complex.
Sale of a two-acre Airpark parcel to local Miller Brewing Company distributor Better Brands, Inc., for construction of a 30,000-square-foot office facility and state-of-the-art temperature-controlled warehouse.

The season’s first commercial vessel arrival was Interlake Steamship Company’s Mesabi Miner on March 26. The Norwegian-flagged Menominee was 2002’s first full Seaway transit, arriving April 2.

The season’s last vessel to transit the Seaway was the Marshall Islands-flagged Lake Ontario, which departed on December 17. Oglebay Norton Marine Services Company’s Oglebay Norton departed January 10 with the Port’s final outbound cargo, and Great Lakes Fleet, Inc.’s, Presque Isle arrived January 16 for winter berthing.

The Presque Isle brought the total number of vessels wintering in Port to 15—the most since the recession of the 1980s—noteworthy because maintenance, repair and renovation work done per wintering vessel averages $800,000.

Total vessel arrivals in 2002 of 1,140 represented an increase of 113 from last year. There were 701 U.S.-flag, 289 Canadian-flag and 150 overseas vessels.

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CONTACT: Ray Skelton, Environmental & Government Affairs Director

Lisa Marciniak, Port Promotion Manager 218-727-8525

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