Canada
April 6, 2026
Ice (and an ice breaker shortage) delays Great Lakes iron ore shipments: LCA
Written by Ethan Bernard
A Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA) official said iron ore shipments would be delayed by a few weeks on the Great Lakes because of winter weather and a lack of icebreakers.
A few boats got moving last week. But it’s going to be a few weeks more before the situation returns to normal, Eric Peace, LCA vice president, told SMU.
“Normally, this would naturally space out,” he told SMU. “But now we’re backed up probably a couple weeks. It’s going to take a while to clear it all out.” And that’s assuming no more cold weather systems move through the region.
There is only one way for ships to pass from Lake Superior to the other Great Lakes: via Whitefish Bay and the St. Mary’s River. And so icy conditions there, combined with a lack of icebreakers, can cause substantial delays.
In 1979, the US and Canada together operated 20 icebreakers. The US is now down to only nine icebreakers. Canada has just two.
“The Canadians have just walked away, essentially,” Peace alleged. “And they basically handed it to the the US Coast Guard, saying, ‘You can manage all of it – and take all of our ships through.’”
The Great Lakes are essential to the North American steel trade. Lakers – specialized bulk carriers – take ore from the Iron Range in Minnesota to mills on the southern Great Lakes. The waterways are also key for the trade in finished steel goods.
Severe winter weather in 2013-2014, and a resulting shortage of iron ore pellets, forced mills to scale back production.
The LCA has urged Congress to release funds for more icebreakers.
