Shipments out of Marquette down in 2009.
MARQUETTE -- Last year was a rough year for iron ore trade just as it was for the rest of the economy. Steel production began operating at only 35 percent capacity, and that severely affected Lake Superior iron cargos.
Dale Hemmila of Cliff's Natural Resources told us that iron cargos out of Marquette are suffering.
"There was a significant drop off from previous years when we've been in excess of six million tons off of the Marquette dock," said Hemmila.
In 2009, iron ore cargos on the Great Lakes reached their lowest levels since 1938, under five million tons. Shipments out of Marquette have not been under five million tons since 1990's shipping season.
The weak demand for iron lead to an abbreviated season. Cliff's itself operated at roughly 50 percent capacity for most of the year, but they remain hopeful for 2010.
"We had about 300 people or so that were on layoff," Hemmila said. "Currently, most of our people are back to work and we're looking a little bit optimistically about what 2010 will be; hopefully a better year than 2009."
Although the Marquette ore docks were expected to see their last boat on January 15, more will be going to Essar-Algoma's steel mill in Soo Ontario, where they do not require the locks to make deliveries from ports on Lake Superior.
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