Grainnet

Portage, IN-–More tonnage moved across the docks at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor in October than any previous month since the port opened in 1970.

This total and the increased shipping numbers 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 month in the last three years.

While October numbers are just in, November shipments are heading out.

The first of two export steel ships were loaded at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor this week with steel slabs bound for Dofasco Steel in Hamilton, Ontario.

The Canadian lake carrier M/V Gordon C. Leitch will be transporting both shipments, the second of which is scheduled for Dec. 10.

"We are seeing increased shipping in all directions," Port Director Steve Mosher said.

"This is our first export steel shipment to Canada in quite some time.

"This type of ‘short-sea shipping' presents tremendous opportunity for Great Lakes ports and companies transporting materials.

"Waterborne shipping is the cheapest, safest and most efficient means of moving cargo.

"Further developing short-sea shipping on the Great Lakes can significantly reduce truck and rail congestion, pollution and accidents, not to mention transportation costs for area companies."

Each export steel shipment will contain approximately 27,500 tons of steel slabs from ISPAT of East Chicago, Ind.

Steel slabs generally weigh just over 20 tons apiece and are used to make steel coils for the manufacturing industry.

Steel is the main reason tonnage at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor is up 29 percent through October.

Through 10 months, the port has handled 731,645 tons of steel (up 53%), 437,449 tons of limestone (up 6%), 200,125 tons of grain and 172,808 tons of salt (up 10%).

As a system, the Ports of Indiana handled 5.9 millions tons in the first 10 months of 2004, up 37 percent from last year.

While there were increases in all major categories, the main cargoes of Indiana's public port system included steel (up 64%), coal (up 64%), grain (up 28%), fertilizer (up 18%), limestone (up 8%) and salt (up 6%).

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.

The port's steel was up 82 percent year-to-date, exceeding the combined total of every other year in port history for the second consecutive year.

Coal alone was 591,000 tons ahead of 2003 (up 67%) and grain was up 241,000 tons (up 42 %).

Across the Ohio River from Louisville, the Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville has also experienced tremendous steel increases, up 95 percent through October.

Overall, the port's tonnage is 26 percent ahead of last year, including increases in fertilizer (up 21%), grain (up 13%), salt (up 6%) and new cement business.

more GRAIN NEWS...