Cargo tonnage handled by commodity on the Maritime Transportation System

This spreadsheet summarizes data on the total tonnage of commodities shipped on the Maritime Transportation System between 2012 and 2018. The Maritime Transportation System includes the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway, and St. Lawrence River downstream to Les Escoumins, QC. Bulk cargoes such as iron ore, stone, grain, and coal make up the majority of the tonnage of goods moving on the MTS. However, containers carried on the MTS make up the largest share of value. This difference in the shares of value and tonnage reflect the fact that bulk cargoes have a relatively low-value per ton, while containerized cargos are usually manufactured products that have a greater value per ton. Changes in commodity tonnage handled reflect changing global and regional economic forces. An interactive chart of this dataset is available here.