Michigan
States/Provinces
0
JOBS$0
BILLION$0
MILLIONMichigan Relies on Great Lakes Seaway Shipping
Michigan’s shoreline stretches more than 3,200 miles on four of the five Great Lakes, including over 1,000 miles of Lake Michigan and over 900 miles of Lake Superior. The state’s two peninsulas also border parts of Lakes Huron and Erie. Nearly 64 million tons of inbound and outbound cargoes are handled at Michigan’s Great Lakes ports.*
Michigan has more ports than any other state in the region, an indication of the critical role that shipping plays in the state's economy. For example, iron ore mined in the upper peninsula is loaded onto lake vessels in Escanaba for transport to steel mills in Gary, Detroit and Cleveland. Limestone quarried in Rogers City and Drummond Island is delivered to ports throughout the region for use in steel-making and construction. Steel products from Europe, South America and Asia are off-loaded from ocean-going vessels in Detroit for use by local manufacturers. Low-sulfur coal is delivered by ship to power generation facilities in Monroe and St. Clair. Raw materials such as sand, gravel, and salt each move through Michigan ports - each playing an important role in the state's economy.
* includes the bi-state port of Menominee/Marinette
Economic Impacts (In 2018 USD)
| Jobs | Personal Income | Business Revenue | Local Purchases | Total Taxes Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25,910 | $1.7 billion | $3.2 billion | $692 million | $763 million |
Investments (In 2013 USD)
| Invested in Michigan port, terminal and waterway infrastructure |
|---|
| $115 million |
Michigan Port Activity
| Port | Annual Tonnage | Major Cargoes Handled |
|---|---|---|
| Alpena | 2,237,000 | coal, coke, limestone, aluminum, salt, slag, cement |
| Calcite | 7,759,000 | gasoline, fuel oil, limestone, sand/gravel, salt |
| Cheboygan | 227,000 | gasoline, fuel oil, limestone |
| Detroit* | 14,836,000 | coal, limestone, iron ore, salt, cement, iron & steel, aluminum, asphalt, slag |
| Drummond Island | 1,260,000 | limestone, iron ore |
| Escanaba | 84,000 | coal, salt |
| Gladstone | 10,000 | asphalt |
| Grand Haven | 1,321,000 | coal, limestone, sand/gravel, slag, cement |
| Holland | 512,000 | limestone, sand/gravel, iron & steel |
| Ludington | 473,000 | salt, limestone, sand/gravel |
| Manistee | 385,000 | coal, coke, limestone, slag |
| Marine City | 780,000 | limestone |
| Marquette | 987,000 | limestone, sand/gravel, iron ore, clay |
| Marysville | 385,000 | limestone, sand/gravel |
| Menominee/Marinette | 184,000 | salt, pig iron |
| Monroe | 1,195,000 | coal, limestone, asphalt, gypsum, iron & steel |
| Muskegon | 773,000 | limestone, sand/gravel, clay, salt, cement |
| Port Dolomite | 2,766,000 | limestone, sand/gravel, clay, salt, slag |
| Port Inland | 4,327,000 | limestone, sand/gravel, clay, salt |
| Presque Isle and UP | 7,473,000 | coal, iron ore |
| Saginaw | 3,214,000 | coal, limestone, sand/gravel, salt, cement |
| Sault Ste. Marie | 69,000 | salt, steel scrap |
| St. Clair** | 6,192,000 | coal |
| St. Joseph | 197,000 | limestone, cement |
| Stoneport | 4,141,000 | limestone, sand/gravel, clay, slag |
*Includes Detroit Harbor, Rouge River, Ecorse, Wyandotte, and Trenton
**Includes facilities on the St. Clair River
Sources:
- The Economic Impacts of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway Navigation System, 2011 – Martin Associates
- The Economic Impacts of Maritime Shipping in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region, 2017 – Martin Associates
- Infrastructure Investment Survey of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway System, 2015 – Martin Associates
- Waterborne Commerce of the United States, Part III, 2013 – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Waterborne Commerce of the United States, 2018 – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers