St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation Reports Lower, but Improving Traffic Volumes

Seaway traffic results for the period through May 31st now available; both tonnage and total transit numbers up from dismal April figures.

Echoing dismal April reports, the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation is once again reporting lower cargo volumes and ship transits from the same period last year, but its May report shows some minor improvements from previous performance. For the first four months of 2009, total transits for the Seaway were down more than 40 percent from that time last year, equating to a similar but more drastic reduction in tonnage of almost 44 percent. That loss of tonnage alone exceeded more than 2 million tonnes.

At the end of May, the Seaway’s total transits were down 36 percent from the previous year and total tonnage was still off by almost 40 percent. But the numbers, however depressing, represent measurable improvements as the Seaway nears the mid-point in this calendar year. And, total grain shipments (including the Montreal/Lake Erie and the Welland Canal) were actually up, year-to-date, by almost 7 percent. The improving performance in the region may be reflective of an improving or at least bottoming economy, as predicted by several leading analysts in recent weeks.

MarEx readers can access the full 2008 Seaway traffic report by clicking HERE.

The SLSMC is a not-for-profit corporation responsible for the safe and efficient movement of marine traffic through the Canadian Seaway facilities, which consist of 13 of the 15 locks between Montreal and Lake Erie. The Corporation plays a pivotal role in ensuring that the waterway remains a safe and well-managed system, which it shares with its American counterpart, the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.

For more information concerning the Seaway and insight into its future, visit: www.greatlakes-seaway.com.