US grain shipments up over 41% year over year through September.

The Great Lakes Seaway Partnership today announced the tonnage report for traffic through the St. Lawrence System through September, 2022. The numbers show that the Seaway System continues to provide a reliable global shipping route for agricultural products.

“September’s tonnage report re-affirms that the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System is a reliable shipping corridor enabling U.S. growers and producers to feed the world,” said Jeff Scharf, Acting Deputy Administrator, Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.

“With a busy few months remaining in the 2022 season, we’re confident that our Great Lakes ports are ready to finish the year strong.”

Through September, the Seaway System has moved 689,000 metric tonnes of U.S. grain. This is a 41.24 percent increase compared to the same period in 2021.

It's estimated that U.S. Great Lakes ports traded with at least 15 countries during September, compared to 23 in August.

Below are the key performance indicators and commodity trackers comparing tonnage numbers through September 2022 to the same period of 2021.

2022 Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway Key Performance Indicators**

2021

2022

Change (+/-)

Total Transits*

2,587

2,664

+2.98%

Total Cargo*

24,756,000 mt

23,361,000 mt

-5.63%

*Combined U.S. and Canadian traffic

**All data is compared year-over-year (2021: Shipments from April 1 to Sept. 30 2021) (2022: Shipments from March 22 to Sept. 30 2022)

2022 Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway Key Commodity Trackers***

2021

2022

Change (+/-)**

U.S Grain

488,000 mt

689,000 mt

+41.24 %

Coke*

1,087,000 mt

1,271,000 mt

+16.95%

Potash*

257,000 mt

930,000 mt

+261.55%

Scrap Metal*

54,000 mt

60,000 mt

+11.32%

Petroleum Products*

1,212,000 mt

1,727,000 mt

+42.50%

Other General Cargo

60,000 mt

170,000 mt

+181.28%

*Combined U.S. and Canadian traffic

**Percentages rounded to nearest tenth

***All data is compared year-over-year (2021: Shipments from April 1 to Sept. 30 2021) (2022: Shipments from March 22 to Sept. 30 2022)