What Cargos are the Big Ships Carrying in Lake Superior?
Minnesotas taconite industry represents 59% (40 million net tons) of the total tonnage shipped from the state. Taconite is mined in Northeastern Minnesota and shipped mainly via the Great Lakes to steel mills in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Although every cargo is important to shippers, iron ore (taconite) for the steel industry is what built the Great Lakes fleet, and remains its mainstay to this day. Iron ore movement from Minnesota ports through the Soo Locks occurs continuously through the federally mandated opening and closing of the locks from March 25 through January 15. The second largest commodity tonnage shipped on Lake Superior is coal from Montana and Wyoming. It comes into the Port of Duluth/Superior via dedicated 100-car unit trains to Midwest Energy, where it is stockpiled and then loaded onto ships for distribution throughout the Midwest and even overseas. This low-sulfur coal is cleaner burning than eastern coals, and is prized for power generation. Our ports handle limeston
