For the first time this year, U.S.-flagged ships carried more than 9 million net tons of dry-bulk cargo in November. The 9.02 million tons was a 3 percent increase from October but a large increase from monthly totals earlier in the year. In May, for example, U.S.-flagged cargos totaled only 7.1 million tons. The 3.6 million tons of iron ore hauled in November are the fleet’s best total for that commodity so far this year and reflect rising demand for steel.

Limestone recorded its second-best month of the year. Coal loadings were down 16 percent compared to a year ago, primarily because of slowdown in shipments of western coal out of Superior. Through November, U.S.-flag cargoes total 60,352,716 tons, a decrease of approximately 36.6 percent compared to a year ago, and 38.4 percent off the five-year average for the January-November period.