Fednav adds three more Laker-class vessels

Fednav Ltd. of Montreal has added three new vessels to its Handy-size laker class of vessels. They are Federal New York, built in 2024 (IMO 997543), Federal Lexi Rose (IMO 9975442), built in 2025 and Federal William Paul (IMO 9975454) also built in 2025. All were built in Oshima, Japan at the Oshima Shipbuilding Co. Each new vessel is registered in the Marshall Islands and are 199.98 meters in length and 23.760 meters in width or 656 feet in length and 78 feet in width. The new vessels are all sisterships, with each having a very large funnel and four deck cranes. These new vessels are very similar in appearance to the Federal Hamilton (IMO 9975363), built in 2023.

Since the arrival of the Federal Hamilton, which first came inland in 2023, there have been six other similar vessels joining the Fednav Handy Size Laker fleet. The Federal Thunder Bay IMO 9975375 built in 2023, Federal Indiana IMO 9975387 built in 2024, Federal Michigan IMO 9975416 built in 2024, Federal Minnesota IMO 9975428 built in 2024, Federal Ohio IMO 9975399 built in 2024, Federal Wisconsin IMO 9975404 built in 2024. These six vessels all made their first ever inland voyages and trips into the Great Lakes/Seaway system in 2024. These new ships for Fednav Ltd. are replacing older vessels built at Oshima, Japan from 1999 through the early 2000s.

Denny Dushane

Expensive to enter, easier to win: The St. Clair Rotary Club’s freighter trip contest

There’s nothing cheap about entering the St. Clair Rotary Club’s annual contest to win a trip for six aboard a Great Lakes freighter. One raffle ticket runs $600. But only 200 tickets will be sold.

“The St. Clair Rotary Club is currently rolling out its favorite longtime fund raiser,” announced Ralph Livingston III, president-elect of the club, on Feb. 6. “The raffle to win a trip for six adults on a Great Lakes freighter vessel is back. This has been a steady fund raiser for our club going back over 20 years. However, we could be nearing the end of this campaign, since the local power plants may not be coal-fired in the future.”

The trip is aboard one of nine self-unloading freighters owned by the Interlake Steamship Company, of Middleburg Heights, Ohio.

The winner and five companions will enjoy three staterooms, each designed for two people, on the multi-day journey. The winning passengers will feast on hearty freighter fare in the captain’s galley.

Four of the freighters in the Interlake fleet are 1,000 feet or longer, including the Paul R. Tregurtha, the longest freighter on the lakes at 1,013.5 feet – the Lakes’ so-called Queen; the Tregurtha has a cargo capacity of 68,000 gross tons and is powered by a 1,710-horsepower engine.

“We are taking this opportunity to generate capital for our newly established St Clair Rotary Club Endowment Fund,” said Livingston. The Community Foundation of St. Clair County will manage the fund. “The fund will help ensure the St Clair Rotary can continue to provide service projects well into the future,” he said.

The Interlake Steamship Company has been moving raw materials on the Lakes to fuel the Midwest’s industries for more than a century. It is the largest privately-owned U.S.-flagged fleet on the Lakes.

“This raffle is a great opportunity for anyone interested in a trip of a lifetime,” said Livingston. “These trips cannot be purchased and they are highly sought after by enthusiasts of the Great Lakes cargo vessels.”

Ticket purchases may be made online. “The Freighter Raffle is now live and ready for ticket sales,” said Livingston. “The link to the web page is very informative and provides direct access to the ticket sales: https://greatlakesfreighterraffle.com/. Your ticket will be generated from the site.”

The winner will be selected during the Rotary’s Gala at the Boardwalk Theatre in St. Clair on April 26, 2025, at 7:00 pm.

“You do not need to be present to win,” Livingston said. “You will receive an email confirmation with a unique ticket number for the drawing. The winner receives six passes (three staterooms) for a Great Lakes Freighter Trip on an Interlake Freighter between Memorial and Labor Day, 2025.

USCG Press Release:

Please see the attached news release regarding the Coast Guard urging the public to exercise caution around icy waters as temperatures fluctuate across the Great Lakes region.

Very Respectfully,
Ninth Coast Guard District
Public Affairs

Will JD Vance save the Great Lakes from Trump?

Go To Link;  https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/will-jd-vance-save-the-great-lakes-from-trump/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIklVdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHTB9ByWDCoO-BzOlAygteiBXdCUrUJpzfAe25nG9dncL_3fOJiTAufpfWA_aem_EsOBhgw_iXa-v2Wp6cCBjA

Seaway sets opening dates

Polsteam adds new vessel to its Laker-class fleet

The Polish Steamship Co. (Polsteam) of Szczecin, Poland, has added another new vessel to its Laker-class fleet of ships. Recently added is the Polsteam Okra (IMO 9984819), built in 2024 and registered in Portugal. This vessel is a sistership to four additional vessels that Polsteam has built all in China for its Laker-class series. Beginning with the Polsteam Dabie, the first of the series (IMO 9971850), they were joined by the Polsteam (Koprowo) IMO 9971862 and Polsteam Lebsko (IMO 9971874). The first three ships of the new series are all Liberian registered. A fourth vessel, Polsteam Pile (IMO 9971886) was also added to the fleet in 2024. This vessel is registered in Portugal. The new Laker-class series vessels are each 656 feet in length and 78 feet in width and will replace older vessels in the Polsteam fleet.

Denny Dushane

Polsteam sells, renames 3 former lakes visitors

The Polish Steamship Company (Polsteam) of Szczecin, Poland, has sold and renamed three of its former Laker-class vessels, all of which were built in 1999. Each made its last inland visit in 2024. The Isa (IMO 9180358) is now the Selvana of Panamanian registration. The Isadora (IMO 9180372) is now the Tomkar also of Panamanian registration. Isolda (IMO 9180360) now sails as the Hizmir Reis of Tuvalu registration. Thus far the Iryda and Irma, built in 2000, have yet to be sold or renamed

Denny Dushane

Michigan museum explores intriguing history of Great Lakes Yemeni sailors

Abdullatif Ahmed was just 23 years old when he first stepped foot on the Medusa Challenger, a 1906-built Great Lakes bulk freighter. “Before I came to America in 1990,” he said, “I had never even seen the sea.”

Born and raised in Juban, a rural district in southern Yemen, Ahmed was drawn to the Great Lakes by family history and opportunity.

His grand-uncles and father, who came to the U.S. in the 1950s, worked on Great Lakes ships including the Ford Motor Company’s fleet, delivering raw materials from around the region to the massive Rouge plant in Dearborn.

“I wanted to be a sailor for two reasons,” he said. “I like water and as a sailor, at that time, you could save more money.”

Ahmed and his relatives aren’t alone. Records show Yemeni sailors working in the region as far back as the 1910s.

Back then the Great Lakes region was a hive of industrial activity.

Millions of laborers from around the world streamed into Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee and elsewhere to work in automotive and other industrial plants.

Much of the economic activity in Detroit was fueled by manufacturers such as the Ford Motor Company, which owned iron ore and graphite mines in Wisconsin and in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan — materials essential in building its vehicles in Dearborn and Hamtramck.

In the 1920s, the company is believed to have faced a major problem: a lack of sailors to man the ships transporting raw materials south to Detroit.

In the 1800s, Yemeni seafarers were employed by the British navy in the Gulf of Aden and across the Indian Ocean. Although it has been difficult to verify, oral stories suggest that many who came to Detroit were reportedly sought out for their sailing skills and because of their abstinence from alcohol.

Later, waves of Yemeni immigrants who came to the U.S. in the 1950s and 1960s settled in Michigan to work in the Great Lakes shipping industry.

Today, around 30,000 people of Yemeni heritage are believed to live in Michigan, and Ahmed estimates that around 600 to 700 of those work on Great Lakes ships.

“Now there are Yemeni captains, first mates, bosuns and [Yemenis in] other high-ranking positions,” he said.

Recording history

About 15 years ago, this little-known history of Yemeni Great Lakes sailors caught the attention of Professor Sally Howell, director of the Center for Arab American Studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

“I had been running into Yemeni-Americans over the years and once I became aware that people’s parents worked on the Great Lakes, I became really curious about it, because there didn’t seem to be a record of this,” she said.

“Once I became aware of the history, it seemed like almost every Yemeni I talked to had somebody in their family who worked on the lakes. It was a much bigger story than I imagined, and it was a really important economic niche for this community.”

This prompted her to make the topic of Yemeni sailors a research project for her students in 2019, who set out to find and interview current and former sailors and ship workers. In total, 22 interviews were conducted, often by the sailors’ younger family members and in their own homes.

“A lot of people we interviewed, their fathers had come in the 1950s,” said Howell. “Especially when the auto industry began requiring a high school education [in the 1950s], a lot of men who were coming in that period were working on the lakes because [the shipping industry] didn’t have the same education requirements.”

In the interviews, the sailors speak of the pain of spending lengthy periods of time away from family, the monotony of life at sea, the back-breaking work of shuffling coal and working in ship “smokehouses” in the 1950s and 1960s. Others talk about how securing a position that included a private room was a goal as they could “pray my prayers and not worry about others.”

Professor Howell said what stood out to her was the skill level acquired by some of the Yemeni-American mariners.

“Some of the people we talked to become navigators,” she said. “There is one who is known [for his skill] guiding ships through the Detroit River, which is a challenging waterway. People have risen through the ranks.”

Another interesting observation, she said, was how it affected women in families whose fathers were absent for long periods. How some wives were empowered in the absence of their husbands.

In the past, many Yemeni-Americans chose to work on Great Lakes ships because the winter months saw shipping shut down, which offered extended periods of time off, allowing them to return to Yemen to see and support their families.

Today, however, most Yemeni sailors reside in southeast Michigan with their families.

Professor Howell said that several times the sailors, often in their 70s and 80s, came to her classes to listen to the student presentations.

The oral histories, which include photos and video footage of life on the frozen Great Lakes, were deemed to be of such importance that the work is now housed as a Digital Special Collection at the Arab American National Museum (AANM) in Dearborn.

“We’re happy to have these donated oral histories. It ties in with speaking about this recent immigrant community that we have in Dearborn and Detroit, this was their experience as a way of coming into the US,” said Shatha Najim, Community Historian at the AANM and who transcribed several of the interviews. 

“A lot of people were also doing this back in Yemen, it was passed down in the family. It’s an important story to tell to create a complete picture of who is in Dearborn, Detroit and the surrounding areas. I’m really glad this project started and was done in such an authentic way.”

Central to Great Lakes life

At the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Island in Detroit, the role Yemeni and Arab sailors have played in the history of Great Lakes shipping is honored in a small way.

The museum contains the cabin house of the SS William Clay Ford, a bulk freighter.

Inside the ship’s pilot house is a dedication to its sailors, who on November 10, 1973 “voluntarily left a safe harbor to face the dangers of gale-force winds and vicious seas, in the blackness of a storm … to search for possible survivors of that disaster, exemplifying the finest traditions of the maritime profession.”

The “disaster” is in reference to the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, which went down northwest of Lake Superior’s Whitefish Bay with the loss of all on board in one of the worst tragedies in recorded Great Lakes maritime history.

The dedication bears the names of Ahmed B Ali and Mosaed Ali — Arab and Yemeni-American sailors who served on the ship that night.

Illustrating the close-knit nature of seafaring life on the Great Lakes, upon seeing one of the names in a photo of the dedication, Abdullatif Ahmed’s face lights up.

“I know Mosaed Ali; he was my mother’s uncle,” he said. “I’m sure [it is him], because he was a well-known name in the community. One hundred per cent.”

Read more at this Bridge Michigan Link: https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-environment-watch/michigan-museum-explores-intriguing-history-great-lakes-yemeni-sailors

Invasive carp barrier to Great Lakes on hold as Illinois governor seeks Trump assurances

Detroit Free Press

A project to keep invasive carp species from reaching the Great Lakes could be in jeopardy as the state of Illinois halted its work, seeking assurances from the Trump administration that federal funding for the more than $1.1 billion project will not be revoked.

The Brandon Road Interbasin Project is a joint project between the federal government and the states of Illinois and Michigan on the Des Plaines River, about 27 miles southwest of Chicago in Joliet, Illinois, and about 40 miles from Lake Michigan. A planned lock and dam system there would include an electric barrier, unappealing sounds for fish and gates of bubbles as deterrents — all designed to deter invasive bighead, silver, black and grass carp from entering the Great Lakes.

The carp were imported from Asia to the southern U.S. in the 1960s and 1970s to control algae blooms in aquaculture facilities, farm ponds and sewage lagoons. Floods and human mismanagement helped the carp escape into the Mississippi River system, where their spread exploded.

The carp grow fast, eat voraciously and breed prolifically. A single female can produce a million eggs or more, and the fish can grow up to 100 pounds. Scientists believe the invaders would out-compete native species and Michigan’s prized sports fish, creating ecological chaos on the Great Lakes. Bighead and silver carp are now within 47 miles of Lake Michigan, according to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Rock Island Illinois District and the states of Illinois and Michigan last July 1 announced the signing of a project partnership agreement for the Brandon Road lock and dam, moving it into the construction phase. The agreement allowed $274 million in federal funding, including $226 million provided by then-President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and $114 million in state funding from Illinois and Michigan to be used for construction of the first of three construction increments of the $1.15 billion project.

But Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Natalie Phelps Finnie, in a Feb. 10 letter to Col. Aaron Williams, commander of the Army Corps’ Rock Island District, advised that state officials were postponing a Feb. 11 property rights closing on riverbed property needed in the first phase of construction.

“The Trump administration’s lack of clarity and commitment to delivering funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources leaves the state to anticipate a lack of federal funding for the Brandon Road Project,” Phelps Finnie stated.

She stated that the state would seek a potential new property rights closing date in May “to allow Illinois to receive written assurances of federal funding.”

“We stand ready to move forward if the administration provides the certainty to fund this critical project,” Phelps Finnie stated.

Illinois Gov. JB Prizker said the Trump administration, since taking office Jan. 20, has withheld $117 million in federal grants for the Illinois DNR, forcing the state to pause contracts and put nearly 70 infrastructure projects on hold.

“Despite court orders, the Trump administration continues to withhold funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources — to create jobs cleaning up abandoned mines and gas wells that are polluting air and water in rural communities,” Pritzker, a Democrat, said in a statement.

“I have a responsibility to protect Illinois taxpayers. If the federal government does not live up to its obligations, Illinois could unfairly suffer the burden of hundreds of millions of dollars of liability. We cannot move forward until the Trump administration provides more certainty and clarity on whether they will follow the law and deliver infrastructure funds we were promised.”

Michigan DNR Director Scott Bowen also expressed his concern.

“It is imperative that the work at Brandon Road continues in order to protect the Great Lakes commercial and recreational fishery, which is valued at $7 billion annually and supports more than 75,000 jobs,” he said.

The Brandon Road lock and dam “is one of the most important Great Lakes protection projects of the 21st century,” said Joel Brammeier, president and CEO of the nonprofit, Chicago-based Alliance for the Great Lakes.

“Everybody who lives in Michigan, and lots of people elsewhere, understands the damage that invasive species have done to the Great Lakes — to tourism, costs to industries and utilities, to recreation, to the quality of life of people who live there.”

Crew rescued after cargo vessel runs aground on Newfoundland’s west coast

All crew members of the MSC Baltic III have been rescued after their vessel ran aground close to the Lark Harbour shoreline off Newfoundland and Labrador’s west coast.

Early Saturday morning, the Marine Communications and Traffic Services Centre in nearby Channel-Port aux Basques received a mayday from the cargo ship, about 12 nautical miles (22 kilometres) off the entrance to the Bay of Islands.

At that time, the ship reported a loss of power.

Conditions were not in the crew’s favour. A winter storm warning was in effect in the region at the time of the incident, with winds up to 120 km/h. Ferry crossings to Nova Scotia from nearby Port aux Basques had been cancelled for the day.

As such, the crew were unable to secure an anchor, leaving them adrift.

According to the Canadian Coast Guard, shortly after losing power, the ship ran aground in Wild Cove, west of Lark Harbour, with 20 crew members aboard.

Photos and video posted to social media show the vessel against the rocks, close to the cliffs.

Premier Andrew Furey confirmed Saturday morning that all 20 crew members had been safely evacuated.

The crew were airlifted from the Baltic III via Cormorant helicopter.

The Halifax Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre said it was alerted to the full power blackout on the vessel on Saturday morning. In a social media post, the centre said that “thanks to 103 and 413 #SAR Squadrons’ swift response, all 20 crew were airlifted to safety.”

The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) ship Henry Larsen was in the area, and search-and-rescue aircraft, including a Cormorant helicopter, also joined the rescue effort.

A CCG response plan is underway, with a Marine Environmental Hazards Response team who will be working with the operator of the MSC Baltic III. The Henry Larsen is staying in the area, while CCG crew and equipment are on the way.

The incident occurred on the anniversary of the Ocean Ranger disaster in 1982, during which 84 men lost their lives.

The cause of the loss of power aboard MSC Baltic III is not yet known.

CBC

Here are the ships that went through
the Soo Locks the most in 2024

The Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie are a critical piece to the ever-important Great Lakes shipping industry. Each year, from late March through mid January of the next year, hundreds of ships go through Lakes Superior and Huron, up and the St. Mary’s River transporting tens of millions of tons of cargo.

The Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie are a critical piece to the ever-important Great Lakes shipping industry. Each year, from late March through mid-January of the next year, hundreds of ships go through Lakes Superior and Huron, up and the St. Marys River transporting tens of millions of tons of cargo.

Data obtained from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the Soo Locks, shows just how many ships and how often those ships went through the locks.

According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, there were 240 ships and tugs that went through the Soo Locks between March 25, 2024, and Jan. 16, 2025. During that time, there were 3,651 total locks.Many of those ships only went twice – a trip through the lock upbound and then back downbound, or vice-versa.

Below are the top 30 ships and how often they went through the lakes.

1. Lee. A Tregurtha – 90 locks
2. Edwin H. Gott – 80 locks
3. American Century – 79 locks (tie)
4. Hon. James L. Oberstar – 79 locks (tie)
5. Edgar B. Speer – 76 locks (tie)
6. Indiana Harbor – 76 locks (tie)
7. Presque Isle – 75 locks (tie)
8. Tug Shirley Ann – 75 locks (tie)
9. Paul R. Tregurtha – 73 locks
10. Walter J. McCarthy Jr. – 71 locks
11. American Integrity – 70 locks (tie)
12. James R. Barker – 70 locks (tie)
13. Joseph L. Block -70 locks (tie)
14. Mesabi Miner – 70 locks (tie)
15. John G. Munson – 66 locks
16. Arthur M. Anderson – 65 locks
17. H. Lee White – 64 locks
18. Joyce L Vanenkevort – 62 locks
19. Burns Harbor – 60 locks
20. American Spirit – 67 locks
21. Stewart J. Cort – 56 locks
22. Kaye E. Barker – 54 locks
23. Tug Clyde S. Vanenkevort – 53 locks
24. American Mariner – 52 locks (tie)
25. Phillip R. Clarke – 52 locks (tie)
26. Victory – 52 locks (tie)
27. Tug Sharon M 1 – 49 locks
28. Harvest Spirit – 48 locks
29. Manitoulin – 46 locks
30. Saginaw – 45 locks

New Corps tug for Soo launched in Louisiana

The Soo Project Office, located in Sault Ste. Marie, MI, will receive two new tugs this year. The tug captains, engineers and crews recently went to the Lower Atchafalaya River at the shipbuilder’s Morgan City, LA, facility to witness the first tug launch.

The R.J. Pearce was released into the water by sinking the barge it was on and then cut loose to float.

The new tug is named in honor of Ronald J. Pearce’s impeccable service and dedication to his country and the Corps of Engineers. Pearce worked at the Soo Locks for thirty-five-years, starting in the area at the age of 13 delivering mail to the 15,000 troops stationed in Sault Ste Marie during WWII. He was appointed Chief of the St. Marys River Branch in 1967 where he would complete his career.

The tug will have American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) classification of Maltese Cross ✠ A-1 Towing Vessel, Ice Class C0, Great Lakes Service with Maltese Cross ✠ AMS and UWILD. The overall length is 76 feet, beam is 28 feet and drafts 9.5 feet deep fully loaded.

The next tug will be named H.J. Lawson.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District

OBITUARY: Canadian Shipowner Scott Misener

Scott Angus Misener, born in London, Ontario, in 1938, passed away peacefully at Toronto Western Hospital on January 30, 2025. He was the son of Ralph Scott Misener and Eleanor Jean Misener.

Scott was an integral part of the family shipping company Scott Misener Steamships, which was established by his grandfather, Captain Scott Misener. His passion for shipping on the Great Lakes was well-known and he carried on the family legacy with pride and dedication, ultimately serving as the Chairman of Misener Holdings.

Scott is survived by his children, Pamela Jane Misener and Richard Scott Misener, and partner Sally Schultz. He was predeceased by his sister Heather Logan and brother Peter Misener. He is survived by his brother and friend, Paul Misener.

His contributions to his family and community and legacy in the shipping industry and many other ventures will never be forgotten.

Private family arrangements have taken place; a memorial will be held at a later time celebrating his remarkable life and to remember the joy and love he brought to the world. For those who wish, the family requests donations be made to MS Canada (Multiple Sclerosis) or a charity of their choice in Scott’s honor. Online condolences may be made through www.turnerporter.ca.

Sweden clears cargo ship Vezhen after
undersea cable damage investigation

Swedish authorities have lifted the confiscation of the cargo ship Vezhen following an investigation into the breakage of an undersea fiber optic cable between Sweden and Latvia on 26 January, according to a report by Swedish Television (SVT).

The Swedish prosecution authority confirmed that the inquiry found no evidence of sabotage. “The investigation now clearly shows that it is not a case of sabotage,” the agency stated.

Vezhen, built in 2022, has been a Great Lakes and Seaway visitor.

Senior prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist from the National Security Unit explained that while Vezhen was responsible for damaging the cable, the incident resulted from poor seamanship, faulty equipment, and adverse weather conditions rather than intentional misconduct.

The damaged fiber optic cable, which connected Latvia and Sweden’s Gotland Island, was among several recent incidents involving disruptions to undersea communication and energy infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.

Initially, Swedish authorities seized Vezhen on suspicion of sabotage, detaining the vessel in the southeastern port of Karlskrona. The bulk carrier, sailing under the Maltese flag and operated by a Bulgarian company, was escorted to port as part of the criminal investigation.

With no signs of deliberate wrongdoing, the ship has now been cleared to resume its journey, SVT reported.

ScandAsia

Tariffs could affect Great Lakes shipping

DULUTH — Tariffs of 25% against sales of goods from Canada and Mexico that were set to take effect on Tuesday have been placed on hold for at least 30 days to allow for further negotiations. As the diplomatic saber-rattling temporarily subsides, area businesses and residents continue to prepare for the possibility that new barriers to North American trade may spring up in the weeks to come.

Northland interests have much riding on how those pending trade talks go.

Tony Barrett, emeritus professor of economics for the College of St. Scholastica, said that if illegal border crossings and the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. are the true rationale for the sanctions, as the Trump administration maintains, the issue likely could be addressed shortly and with minimal economic disruption.

But if the nature of the trade dispute becomes muddier, he suggested the consequences could be far worse. “If the dispute becomes protracted, nothing economically positive will come from it,” Barrett predicted.

Given the current configuration of auto-making operations, with parts and vehicles flowing throughout North America, he said economists project the proposed 25% tariffs could add about $3,000 to the cost of a new vehicle purchased in the U.S. In turn, Barrett noted that higher prices for new vehicles would likely bleed into the domestic used-car market, too.

“Things like this work their way out down the food chain,” Barrett said, explaining that the expense will be passed forward.

“It will end up costing consumers more,” he said. “The idea that the exporting countries will pay the tariffs simply is not true. It would be nice to believe that, but they won’t.”

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative issued a letter “to the growing chorus of American and Canadian leaders who oppose the prospect of a harmful trade war between our two countries.”

“The economic engine of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Region supports over 50 million jobs that our residents count on,” the letter said. “The livelihoods of millions cannot be put at risk by putting these jobs in jeopardy.”

Deb DeLuca, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, said her staff is also closing tracking developments.

“Duluth-Superior is a world port, and global trade is part of our lifeblood,” she said. “Anything that inhibits free trade is generally a negative for the port, with the exception of policies that protect against foreign steel-dumping.”

DeLuca noted close ties between port cities on both sides of the border.

“Regarding Canada and the U.S. specifically, Duluth-Superior would likely suffer from tariffs imposed by either country,” she said. “Cargo volumes between our port and Canada total in the millions of tons each year, spread across categories like iron ore, lumber, salt, grain and general cargo. Almost a third of the iron ore that sailed from Duluth-Superior during the 2024 navigation season went to Canada.

“Our northern neighbor is a major trade partner,” DeLuca said. “and the net economic result of a trade war between Canada and the U.S. would likely be more negative than positive for our port.”

Nevertheless, Eric Peace, vice president of the Lake Carriers Association, which represents U.S.-flagged operators of the Great Lakes fleet, suggested the short-term effects of the proposed tariffs would likely be minimal on his organization’s members. In fact, he predicted it could lead to more business for its members, as carriers are called upon to move more domestic salt by way of water — shipments that nearly all involve Canadian salt shipped by Canadian vessels.

However, he acknowledged that a protracted trade dispute could prove more disruptive to the domestic automobile industry, potentially weakening demand for steel and slowing shipments of taconite.

Forest products could also take a hit, with the U.S. importing about one-third of its softwood lumber from Canada and relying heavily on its paper-making capacity, as well.

Forum Communications Co., the Fargo, North Dakota-based owner of the News Tribune, buys all of its newsprint from Canadian paper makers and would feel the direct impact of the proposed tariffs.

Aaron Becher, Forum Communications’ vice president of newspapers, said that if the threatened tariffs take effect, “It will present us with greater cost challenges that we will need to manage carefully.”

Duluth News Tribune