Is the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway on the verge of a huge surge in traffic?

摘要

St. Lawrence Seaway tonnage increased by 4% to 38.9 million tonnes during the 2012 navigation season, according to a report from the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC).The final tally exceeded the SLSMC's original forecast by 300,000 tonnes thanks in part to a late season surge in grain movements, officials announced. Strong performance within a number of core markets contributed to an overall gain of 1.4 million tonnes for the year, when compared to the Seaway's 2011 result of 37.5 million tonnes. Demand for low-sulphur coal in Europe led to a substantial increase in coal volumes, according to the SLSMC, while busy Chinese steel mills triggered an upsurge in the demand for iron ore.