Local port authority reports shipping volumes rising this year

Windsor’s port authority reported on Monday that volumes of most goods are ahead of 2017’s volumes — most notably with petroleum, salt and grain.

Grain shipments from March to Oct. 31 are up 12 per cent compared to the same period in 2017, according to the port’s numbers. “It’s a strong year for the port as we facilitate domestic, crossborder and international trade,” said Steve Salmons, CEO of the Windsor Port Authority. “Our international tonnage is up 73 per cent over last year.

“Trade tariffs in the U.S. have led to steel imports from Europe and Russia coming into the port and a flurry of Canadian grain exports heading out to European markets,” he added.

There has also been a huge jump in the amount of aggregate being carried in from U.S. quarries into Windsor — as this number has seen a 483 per cent increase from 2017, Salmons said.

Overall, St. Lawrence Seaway shipping had its second busiest month of the season in October thanks to increases in shipments of grain, salt and construction materials.

Cargo shipments through the seaway from March 29 to Oct. 31 totalled 30.5 million tonnes — up four per cent over the same period in 2017. Year-to-date, Canadian grain shipments reached 6.4 million tonnes, up 10 per cent compared to the same time period in 2017. An Australian drought is driving up global grain prices and leading to more demand for Canadian products.

“We’re anticipating that grain shipments will continue to dominate in the final two months of the season,” said Terence Bowles, CEO of The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation.

“It’s also promising to see the demand for construction materials this time of year and salt recovering nicely.”