Steel Products Prices North America
October 20, 2020
Great Lakes Ore “Feeling the Pinch of COVID-19”
Written by Sandy Williams
Iron ore trade on the Great Lakes felt the “pinch of COVID-19” during 2020, plummeting 30 percent from its normal levels, reported the Lake Carriers Association.
The pandemic hit just as crews were readying ore vessels for the new shipping season in March. No plans were in place to guide maritime shipping. “The United States Coast Guard was focused on foreign-flag vessels in U.S. waters and ports. It was left to Lake Carriers’ and its members to fill the planning and preparedness void,” said LCA President James Weakley in the 2020 State of the Lakes report. “Strong communications built on solid facts, short and long-term planning, and vessel operators who understood the seriousness of the situation from the start and the need to keep sailing has been key throughout.”
