IMMEDIATE RELEASE                July 28, 2000

DULUTH, Minn., U.S.A.-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.
Year-to-date statistics showed more ships through June than a year ago (359 vs. 357), but total tonnage declined by eight percent (12.1 million metric tons compared with 13 million). The year's tonnage trailed the five-year average of 12.7 million tons by five percent.

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The Great Lakes have lost an estimated 63 trillion gallons of water (from an estimated total volume of six quadrillion gallons) since the decline began in 1997, according to Lake Carriers' Association, Cleveland, Ohio. The loss represents enough water to cover the lower 48 United States with 1-¼ inches.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' reports showed Lake Superior's water level about eight inches below average through June, while Lakes Huron and Michigan were down about 18 inches. For the largest lake vessels, each inch of vessel draft means up to 270 tons of cargo.

Coal shipments, an early-season pace-setter in Port of Duluth-Superior maritime commerce, continued to reign as the tonnage leader with 42 percent of the total-even though this year's level of 5.1 million tons represented a six percent decrease from 1999's 5.4 million.

Iron ore shipments, the port's number one cargo for most of the past century, totaled nearly five million metric tons, or 41 percent of total commerce. This represented an 11 percent decrease from last year's level of 5.4 million tons.

Bulk grain, historically the port's third-leading commodity, stood at eight percent of the total with .9 million tons-a 14 percent decrease from last year's level of more than one million tons.
Combined, the port's three principal cargoes of coal, iron ore and grain equaled 91 percent of total commerce.

International trade totaled 3.6 million tons, a slight decrease of three percent from the previous year. Decreased iron ore and coal shipments were reflected in domestic trade's total of 8.5 million tons, a 10 percent decrease from the 9.4 million tons reached in 1999.

Making up the total of 359 vessels visiting the Port through June were 205 U.S.-flag, 103 Canadian-flag and 51 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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