News

Launch of the First U.S.-flagged Great Lakes Bulk Carrier in Nearly 40 years

October 29, 2021

STURGEON BAY, WISCONSIN, Oct. 28, 2021: Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding and The Interlake Steamship Company hosted a launch ceremony Thursday, marking the latest milestone for the new 639 – foot M/V Mark W. Barker. The first U.S.- flagged Great Lakes freighter to be built on the Great Lakes in nearly 40 years, the M/V Mark W. Barker – while still under construction – was “launched” or otherwise floated in the water in the…

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Great Lakes Seaway Shipping Navigates the Global Supply Chain With Significant Increase in Steel, Iron, & Iron Ore Tonnage

October 19, 2021

Washington, D.C. (October 19, 2021) – The Great Lakes Seaway Partnership today reported that American and Canadian ports in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System handled 5,361,000 mt of iron ore (+26.63 percent increase year-over-year) and 1,589,000 mt of iron and steel, an impressive 99.16 percent increase YOY. This noteworthy growth is reinforced by the…

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Demand for Iron Ore & Steel Drives Activity Across the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System

September 15, 2021

Washington, D.C. (September 15, 2021) – The Great Lakes Seaway Partnership today reported that American and Canadian ports in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System handled 20,723,000 metric tons of cargo shipped through the St. Lawrence Seaway (Seaway) from the opening of the Seaway on March 22, 2021, through August 31, 2021 (i.e., Year-to-date or…

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The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System Continues to Be Strong Supply Chain for Wind Energy

August 18, 2021

Ports of Erie, Burns Harbor, and Duluth see wind energy cargo on eight ships from five countries Washington, D.C. (August 18, 2021) – The Great Lakes Seaway Partnership today reported that American and Canadian ports in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System saw 1,733 total transits from the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway on…

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The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System Sees Increase in Construction Materials Over 2020 Tonnage

July 22, 2021

Asphalt, Cement and Clinkers Surge Over 2020 Numbers   The Great Lakes Seaway Partnership today reported that American and Canadian ports in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System handled over 108,000 tons of asphalt from the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway on March 22, 2021 through June 30, 2021, a 61 percent increase compared…

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The Three-peat Port: The Biggest Little Port – Port of Monroe Wins Pacesetter Award in 2018, 2019 & Now 2020

June 8, 2021

The Three-peat Port: The Biggest Little Port Port of Monroe Wins Pacesetter Award in 2018, 2019 & Now 2020   Monroe, MI. (June 8, 2021) – The Port of Monroe navigates the 2021 Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway Navigation Season with accolades and momentum from 2020.     Accolades for the Biggest Little Port The Great…

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2020 Photo Contest Winners

April 28, 2021

The Great Lakes Seaway Partnership today announced the winners of their third annual photo contest. This announcement also marks the beginning of the organization’s fourth annual photo contest only a few weeks after the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway on March 24, 2021. Each year, to celebrate the start of the Great Lakes navigation…

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State Grants $500,000 For Port Of Green Bay Expansion

January 4, 2021

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – Gov. Tony Evers has announced a $500,000 grant for Brown County for the Port of Green Bay expansion and movement of coal piles. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is granting the money to the county to help in purchasing the former WPS Pulliam Plant property. The county intends to move…

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Photos: Float Out Of First U.S. Built Great Lakes Bulker Since 1983

January 1, 2021

  The first U.S. flagged Great Lakes bulk carrier to be built on the Great Lakes in nearly four decades marked a key point in its construction with its recent float out from the graving dock. Being built for The Interlake Steamship Company at the Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding yard in Wisconsin, the vessel which is…

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The Tools to Compete: Comparing State-Level Assistance Programs for Great Lakes Commercial Ports

December 23, 2020

‘The Tools to Compete’ Report Compares State-Level Assistance Programs for Great Lakes Commercial Ports   A comparative research analysis evaluating state-level support in six Great Lakes states including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan reveals significant inequities in state investment for commercial port infrastructure compared to coastal ports. The Tools to Compete: Comparing State-Level Assistance…

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Record Year For Wind Parts Helps Salvage Port Season In Duluth

December 1, 2020

With iron ore and coal markets depressed, the port’s handling of 525,000 freight tons of wind-energy components smashed last year’s record of 306,000 freight tons. The season’s final foreign ship carrying wind energy parts to the Port of Duluth-Superior came and went last week — and along with the Liberia-flagged BBC Swift went another record-setting…

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Another Record Season For Wind Turbine Shipments At Duluth Port

November 19, 2020

About 525,000 tons of blades and tower parts will move through the harbor this year. DULUTH – Massive wind turbine blades that will one day tower above Midwestern prairies hovered atop oversized truck beds along the Duluth harbor last week as they awaited the final leg of their journey. Once these parts are trucked away…

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Michels Inks Long-term Lease At Port Milwaukee

November 16, 2020

Port Milwaukee and Michels Corporation have formally signed a lease agreement for nearly 17.5 acres at the port’s Grand Trunk site along the Kinnickinnic River. The agreement has an initial term of 20 years, and, with extensions, could continue for a total of 99 years. The lease signing is the culmination of a process that…

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Federal Maritime Administration Awards Grant To Ports Of Indiana

November 9, 2020

The US Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) has awarded Ports of Indiana US$4 million to make bulk cargo supply chain improvements by converting a vacant gravel yard into a multimodal storage facility at Burns Harbor. The grant will fund construction of an 84 000 ft2 warehouse and a 1.65 acre storage pad in the…

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Cuomo Announces Groundbreakings For Resiliency Projects At Oswego Port

November 4, 2020

  ALBANY — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced the start of construction for the East Operating Dock in the Port Authority of Oswego, in addition to key milestones of the Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative, which successfully completed its first year helping municipalities, residents and businesses along the Lake Ontario shoreline. “The REDI program exemplifies…

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