Ships, tonnage continue increase in Green Bay Port

Posted at 5:45 p.m. on August 14, 2019

The Brillion News

GREEN BAY – A very good shipping season at the Port of Green Bay continues, with a 20 percent increase in year-to-date tonnage after 267,978 tons were moved in July (compared to the same time frame in 2018).

The Brown County Port and Resource Recovery Department released the data on August 14.

That brings the year-to-date total to almost a million tons, at exactly 983,703 tons. Positive contributors to the increase included a 58 percent rise in limestone domestic imports and a 43 percent rise in coal domestic imports.

Foreign imports of salt and wood pulp/forest products and foreign exports of petroleum products increased by 37, 39 and 61 percent respectively.

On the other end, domestic exports of limestone, petroleum projects and project cargo were all down compared to this time last year.

“We’re seeing extremely high water levels across all of the Great Lakes right now,” said Port Director Dean Haen. “July water levels for Lake Michigan tied a record July high from 1986. One of the results of this high water is the ability to move more cargo. For each additional inch of water in the Port of Green Bay, another 100 tons of cargo can be added to ships importing or exporting important commodities.”

Haen said that, while the higher water is good for shipping, ports are well aware there can be a down side.

“Like everyone else on the Great Lakes, we know the high water can impact landowners and the shoreline, so we’re carefully monitoring the situation,” Haen said.

So far this year, 76 vessels have moved through the Port of Green Bay, four more than the same time last year