Varnum BlogsToggle Nav Report Says Great Lakes Shipping Supports
227,000 Jobs & Generates Billions of Dollars The Great Lakes
Shipping industry has released the results of a study of the
economic impacts of shipping in the Great Lakes-Saint Lawrence
Seaway system. The study found that maritime commerce supported
227,000 jobs; contributed $14.1 billion in annual personal
income, $33.5 billion in business revenue, and $6.4 billion in
local purchases; and added $4.6 billion to federal,
state/provincial, and local tax revenues. North American
farmers, steel producers, construction firms, food
manufacturers, and power generators depend on the 164 million
metric tons of essential raw materials and finished products
that are moved annually on the waterways. Additionally, marine
shipping saves companies approximately $3.6 billion per year in
transportation costs compared to the next least-costly land-
based alternative. U.S. Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood,
expressed support for the study results: “This report be