IMMEDIATE RELEASE        May 26, 2000

TRAFFIC UP - TONNAGE DOWN

DULUTH, Minn., U.S.A.-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.

Year-to-date tonnage figures reported by the Duluth Seaway Port Authority show coal shipments through April totaled 1.95 million metric tons, 45 percent of the port's total traffic. Iron ore shipments-which have dominated the port's statistics for most of the past century-totaled 1.85 million metric tons, or 42 percent of the total.

Low water levels on Lakes Superior, Huron and Michigan adversely affected nearly all shipping, however, reflected by the fact that the port had more ships through April than a year ago (121 to 118), but less total tonnage (4.4 million metric tons compared with 4.5 million).

For the largest lake vessels each inch of vessel draft means up to 270 tons of cargo. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports showed Lake Superior water levels down by eight inches through April.

The clean-burning, low-sulfur western coal that moves through Superior's Midwest Energy Resources facility has broken port coal-handling records for six consecutive years.

All cargo through April decreased by 3.4 percent from the same period in 1999, but exceeded the five-year average by six percent.

Bulk grain, historically the port's third-leading commodity, stood at seven percent of the total with 310,096 metric tons-a six percent decrease from last years 329,023 tons. The port's three principal cargoes of newly-number-one coal, iron ore and grain combined equaled 94 percent of total commerce.

International trade totaled 1,308,827 tons, slightly surpassing last year's level of 1,304,723 tons. Decreased iron ore shipments were reflected in domestic trade's total of three million tons, a five percent decrease from the 3.2 million tons reached last year.

Making up the total of 121 vessels visiting the port through April were 70 U.S.-flag, 36 Canadian-flag and 15 overseas vessel arrivals.

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CONTACT: Ray Skelton, Environmental and Government Affairs Director
Lisa Marciniak, Port Promotion Manager, phone 218-727-8525