Industry
Maritime Shipping
The transport of cargo by vessel; on the Great Lakes, a specialized fleet of purpose-built bulk carriers known as lakers moves iron ore, coal, grain and other bulk commodities between US and Canadian ports.
Covered in 2 MetalsCost.com News Intelligence articles, most recently on September 21, 2026.
Coverage
Copper
A Record $500 Million Copper Shipment Is Adding to a Port Backlog in New Orleans
Marine terminals in the New Orleans area are experiencing serious congestion and delays loading copper and other metals and steel, spilling over into adjacent cargo that has nothing to do with the copper stockpiling rush itself.
Iron
Iron Ore Shipments on the Great Lakes Fall 40% as US-Canada Steel Tariffs Disrupt Trade
Great Lakes bulk carriers, a purpose-built fleet with no easy alternative trade to shift into, have seen vessel traffic fall 23% year-over-year through August as the cargo the route was built to carry keeps shrinking.
