Posted on 05/02/2014 1:44:55 AM PDT by prisoner6
5/2 - The biggest ice cover on the Great Lakes in decades is backing up shipments of everything from Canadian grain to U.S. iron and steel in one of North America's most important economic regions. The frigid winter and cool spring have hurt companies like Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. and United States Steel Corp, and also hampered efforts to clear an unprecedented buildup of grain and oilseeds in Western Canada.
The Great Lakes region accounts for nearly one third of combined Canadian and U.S. output, jobs and exports, according to a report by Bank of Montreal on April 25.
Pittsburgh-based US Steel expects reduced second-quarter income from operations due to limited production and slower shipments of raw materials and finished goods, said Chief Executive Mario Longhi on a conference call on Wednesday about first quarter results.
"Ice conditions in the Great Lakes, and particularly Lake Superior, are the worst we have seen in over 30 years," Longhi said.
Vessels traveling across Lake Superior require an escort by ice-cutting equipment, limiting the number of ships and extending travel times, he said.
Cliffs Natural Resources, based in Cleveland, Ohio, said that the Great Lakes experienced more than 70 days of -30 degrees F (-34.4 Celsius) temperatures during the winter, making it hard for Cliffs to ship iron ore pellets to North American steel makers. Some steel makers have had to reduce or idle production, Cliffs’ Chief Executive Gary Halverson said on Friday.
The late ice cover compounds a backlog of Western Canadian grain, which piled up due to the frigid winter and record harvest overwhelming Canadian National Railway Co and Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd, which move crops to port.
(Excerpt) Read more at boatnerd.com ...
There’s so much global cooling here in Indiana that all the dandelions are shriveled and hugging the ground for warmth.
N2 will average $1/gallon higher. Figure 70,000 gallons every 5-6 days. That's a pinch in the pocketbook !
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Ice will keep water from evaporating and the lakes will start coming up to their historically normal levels. Isn’t this a ‘good thing’ in the long run?
BFL Post 12.
I did. I’m ‘supposedl’y working today. *SMIRK*
Stop it. I know food prices are up. I don’t think ice on the Great Lakes is exacerbating the problem.
You're the first to mention the price of food in this article about ice on the Great Lakes.
I was just pointing out that the price of food is already up an unbelieveable 19% (This Year) without the Great Lakes ice as an issue.
You stop it!
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