Indiana port Burns Harbor reports highest tonnage month since 1970
The port of Indiana-Burns Harbor in October handled the highest monthly tonnage of cargo since the port opened in 1970.
This total and the increased shipping volumes at Indiana’s two river ports combined for the largest shipping month for the entire Ports of Indiana system since 1996. October’s total system tonnage was 100,000 tons more than September, which had been the largest shipping month in the past three years.
The Ports of Indiana handled 5.9 million tons in the first 10 months of 2004, up 37 percent from last year.
Steel is up 29 percent through October. Through the first 10 months of 2004, the port handled 731,645 tons of steel, 437,449 tons of limestone, 200,125 tons of grain, and 172,808 tons of salt.
More steel shipments are departing the port. The first of two export steel ships were loaded at the port this week with steel slabs bound for Dofasco Steel in Hamilton, Ontario. The steel slabs were produced by ISPAT in East Chicago. The Canadian Great Lakes ship “Gordon C. Leitch” will transport both shipments. The second shipment will leave the port on Dec. 10.
“This is our first export steel shipment to Canada in quite some time,” said port director Steve Mosher.
On the Ohio River, the port of Indiana-Mount Vernon was 51 percent ahead of last year’s year-to-date tonnage through October, and is already well over 370,000 tons ahead of the 2003 year-end tonnage.
Across the Ohio River from Louisville, Ky., the port of Indiana-Jeffersonville experienced increased steel shipments, up 95 percent through October. Overall, the port’s tonnage is 26 percent ahead of last year.