Grain and potash cargoes through the Port of Thunder Bay are trending upward so far in 2024.
The port authority reports a sizable growth in cargo volumes, according to the latest statistics posted for July.
In a news release, the authority said grain shipments are up by 136,000 tonnes over the same month in 2023 and have increased by more than 440,000 tonnes thus far this shipping season over last.
The western Lake Superior port surpassed the million-tonne mark in overall movements of grain, potash and coal in July with more than 4.6 million tonnes of cargo being handled this year, 660,000 tonnes above the same time last year.
A record-breaking year for potash exports in the port could be in store. The authority’s stats show almost 260,000 more tonnes of the agriculture fertilizer product has transitted the port since the shipping season opened last spring. Last year was regarded as a record year for potash movement.
Keefer Terminal handled nearly 20,000 tonnes of phosphate fertilizer and the Great Lakes cruise ship business remains strong with four additional visits in July, a big boost to the local tourism economy, the authority said.
Ship traffic in 2024 is up at 134 vessels compared to 127 last year, particularly among foreign-flagged ships with 80 making port calls compared to 66 in 2023.
