Grain the dominant commodity as end of marine shipping season in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway draws near

As the 2024 marine shipping season continues into its final months, grain remains the dominant commodity trafficking the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway for two years in a row.

As noted in a release recently issued by the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation and the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, in October there was 28 million metric tons of cargo movements since the start of the navigation season. This included:

• Approximately 8 million metric tons (mt) of Canadian and U.S. grain traffic, which is up 807,000 mt or 11.24% year over year;

• Approximately 1.36 million mt of Potash traffic, representing an increase of 142,000 mt or 11.7% year over year; and

• 1.63 million mt of iron and steel traffic, which is up by 227,000 mt or 16.2% over last year.

A Chamber of Marine Commerce (CMC) member playing a vital role in all the grain traffic happening this year is Richardson International, a global leader in agriculture and food processing. The company is Canada’s largest agribusiness, and a worldwide handler and merchandiser of all major Canadian-grown grains and oilseeds. Every year, they handle 14 to 16 million tonnes of locally-sourced grains, oilseeds, and other crops to meet growing global demand for quality Canadian commodities.

“Canada has seen a very strong pace for exports in both 2023 and 2024, and we expect demand to continue to be strong for the balance of this crop year,” said Carsten Bredin, Vice-President of Grain Merchandising for Richardson International. “The large crop in Manitoba and excellent harvest conditions have ensured we are ready to keep pace with demand, and maintain Canada’s place as global leader in supplying quality product.”

“Companies like Richardson International helped build Canada’s global reputation as a reliable provider of high-quality product that people all over the world can depend on,” noted Bruce Burrows, President and CEO of the Chamber of Marine Commerce. “In an ever-changing world, that reputation for reliability is more important than ever. Through the CMC’s continuous advocacy for the protection and strengthening of supply chains, we are doing our part to maintain Canada’s place in world markets for years to come.”