Cargo volume climbs at the Port of Milwaukee in 2013

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The Port of Milwaukee is approaching the end of 2013 with strong cargo volumes, paced by more than double the quantity of salt arriving by ship this year.  Total tonnage is expected to reach 2.7 million metric tons in 2013 – significantly surpassing last year’s total of 2 million tons and close to the volume tallied in 2011.

Thursday and Friday 7,000 tons of steel is being unloaded from the Federal Shimanto.  That is the final oceangoing ship scheduled to call on Milwaukee this shipping season.  The St. Lawrence Seaway annually closes for approximately three months starting in late December.  Steel is one of the commodities handled at the Port of Milwaukee that has seen an increase this year.

Salt, primarily used for street deicing, saw the largest jump in cargo volume in 2013.  Through November, the Port handled 1.3 million tons of salt; that is more than twice the amount handled in 2012.