St. Lawrence Seaway sees 37M tonnes of cargo during 2024 season

The St. Lawrence Seaway saw approximately 37 million tonnes of cargo move through its system during the 2024 navigation season, reinforcing its role as a critical North American trade corridor.

The season, which ran from March 22, 2024, to Jan. 10, 2025, lasted 295 days—making it the longest planned navigation period in the waterway’s history.

“We are making significant investments in our infrastructure to ensure the Seaway’s continued reliability and efficiency well into the future,” said Jim Athanasiou, president and CEO of the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC). “We are committed to supporting growth in North American industries, and can easily accommodate additional traffic within our existing capacity.”

SLSMC announced in December it would invest more than $350 million in infrastructure upgrades over the next three years to strengthen supply chain links and improve reliability.

The Seaway saw strong cargo movement across key sectors, with grain shipments rising 12 per cent year-over-year, potash increasing 14 per cent, liquid bulk up 10 per cent and general cargo also rising 14 per cent.