Toledo Ports continue to score big

In the title linked Toledo Blade article, good news:

General cargo loaded and unloaded at the Port of Toledo has increased three-fold through May compared to the same period last year.

The increase is due in part to a deal in Brazil to accept bulk sugar and one struck in Quebec for the Port of Toledo to become a distribution center for aluminum used in automobiles.

I'm not sure I agree with Jim Hartung on how great the economy is, especially in this area but it does show that other areas are growing and that Toledo is reaping some of the benefits of that thru two new deals and increased shipping.

The growth has been going on for some time now, in May the Toledo Blade reported:

A rebound in steel shipments, plus early lumber and aluminum shipments, are the main reason general cargo at the Port of Toledo increased to 22,194 tons for the season through April 30 from 6,984 during the same period last year.

While it’s too soon to know if 200-plus percent growth will be sustained all season, it’s possible, Mr. McCrimmon ( Warren McCrimmon, seaport director for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority) said.

In January:

Cargo traffic at the Port of Toledo increased by 14.72 percent during 2005, highlighted by robust growth in general cargo and iron ore, the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority announced yesterday.

The 164,588 tons of general cargo handled at the local docks in 2005 represented a 34.3 percent increase over 2004.

On November 26th 2005, from the Toledo Lucas County Library database of Toledo Blade articles:

Overall through October, total cargo through the Port of Toledo is up 18.3 percent this year by weight, including a 17.8 percent increase in general and miscellaneous cargo.

In fact, Toledo's aluminum and sugar cargoes have accounted for nearly half the "new" traffic traveling this year through the Welland Canal, the St. Lawrence Seaway system's link between lakes Ontario and Erie.

"Toledo is front and center" promoting increased trade through the Seaway system, said Dick Corfe, president of Canada's St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp., which operates the Welland Canal and five Canadian locks in the St. Lawrence River.

The canal's new traffic - representing cargoes that have not used the seaway in recent years - so far this year totals about 160,000 tons. Of that, Toledo's sugar and aluminum account for 76,000 tons, Mr. Corfe said.

Also worth remembering is the plan to start designing and building a Marina District passenger terminal this summer to receive Great Lakes cruise ships and passengers.

So while there have been some trials and tribulations, as well as a change in Operators of the Shipyard, it appears the Port of Toledo is continuing to experience growth.