Frontenac fire has been contained

A fire aboard the Canada Steamship Lines’ motor vessel Frontenac at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, Sturgeon Bay, WI, has been contained. Multiple fire departments responded to the Tuesday early afternoon call. The fire is believed to have started when a subcontractor was cleaning out the dust collector, part of the self-unloading system. There were no injuries reported.

Let’s Go Door County

Duluth sees cargo decline as iron ore volumes drop

Cargo throughput at the Port of Duluth-Superior fell 6.8% in 2024, mainly due to a 10.4% drop in iron ore shipments.

Total cargo throughput at the Port of Duluth-Superior declined by 6.8% in the 2024 navigation season, totaling 26.8m metric tonnes (29.6m short tonnes), down from 28.8m tonnes in 2023 and 27.6m tonnes in 2022.

The decline was primarily driven by reduced iron ore shipments. Taconite volumes fell to 17.6m tonnes from a 28-season high in 2023, representing a 10.4% year-on-year decrease. Despite this, iron ore volumes remained above the five-season average.

Despite the overall decline, the port recorded several successes. Maritime import and export tonnage rose nearly 15% year-on-year, fueled by a 31% surge in exports. Spring wheat exports more than tripled, driving waterborne grain shipments to nearly 720,000 tonnes—the highest level since 2021 following a strong fourth-quarter performance.

Breakbulk cargo through Duluth’s Clure Public Marine Terminal increased by 70% year-on-year, with shipments reaching destinations as far as the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada. Wind energy cargo recorded its highest volume since 2020. Freight volumes handled by Duluth Cargo Connect, spanning maritime, road, and rail transport, exceeded 453,000 tonnes—a 21% increase and the highest total since 2020.

Spliethoff introduced a regular transatlantic liner service between Duluth and the Mediterranean, complementing the Duluth-Antwerp service launched in 2023, the port’s first such regular connection since the 1970s. Limestone shipments exceeded 3m tonnes, the highest since 2019. Low-sulphur coal volumes remained above 5m tonnes, posting a modest year-on-year increase. The port welcomed 58 oceangoing vessels, eight more than the previous season.

Located in Minnesota at the westernmost point of Lake Superior, the Port of Duluth-Superior remains a key hub within the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System.

World Cargo News