December 15, 1999
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DULUTH, Minn., U.S.A.-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.

Year-to-date cargo totaled 35,503,760 metric tons-a one percent increase from the 35,155,889 tons reached in 1998 and three percent ahead of the five-year average of 34.6 million tons.

Vessel calls through November mirrored last year's figure of 999. Making up this year's total were 580 U.S.-flag, 254 Canadian-flag and 165 overseas vessel arrivals. A year ago, the breakdown was 603 U.S.-flag, 219 Canadian-flag and 177 overseas vessel arrivals.

The Port's three principal cargoes of iron ore, coal and grain equaled 91 percent of total commerce. The Port's No. 2 commodity, coal, equaled 13.5 million metric tons, 38 percent of total traffic and closing the gap between itself and the Port's No. 1 commodity of iron ore, which reached 13.8 million tons (39 percent of the total.) Rounding out the top three were grain shipments of 4.8 million tons, 14 percent of total commerce.

Grain shipments through November were 10 percent ahead of levels reached during the same period a year ago. Combined with the strong coal shipments (six percent above last year's level) they boosted total international trade to 11 million metric tons, eight percent above last year's 10.2 million tons.

Decreased iron ore shipments (six percent below last year's level) were reflected in domestic trade's total of 24.5 million tons, a two percent decrease from the 24.9 million tons reached last year.

Despite the slight decline in iron ore shipments, Northeastern Minnesota's taconite industry produced 43 million tons of iron ore pellets this year-the seventh time in 10 years that it exceeded the 40-million ton level. It will be the industry's most productive decade, with more than 420 million tons produced.

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CONTACT: Ray Skelton, Environmental & Government Affairs Director

Lisa Marciniak, Port Promotion Manager, 218-727-8525