The Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Seaway navigation system supports over 225,000 jobs and generates billions of dollars in annual income and revenues in both Canada and the U.S.  These are the major findings of a new economic impact study that analyzed the effect of cargo movements at Canadian and U.S. Great Lakes ports throughout 2010. 

The study's authors found that maritime activity on the Great Lakes Seaway system supported 226,833 jobs in Canada and the U.S. (inclding 92,923 direct jobs) and helped generate $34 billion in business revenue, $14 billion in personal income, and $4.6 billion in federal, state, provincial and local tax revenue.

These are significant figures which highlight the maritime industry’s enormous contribution to the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Seaway region, as well as its essential role in creating and sustaining hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout North America’s industrial and agricultural heartland.

In 2010, Canadian ports and marine terminals on the Great Lakes Seaway System handled 322.1 million metric tons of cargo, including iron ore for the steel industry, grain for overseas markets, coal for power generation and steel production, limestone for construction and steel industries, manufactured iron and steel products, and specialty cargoes such as wind energy components.

Additional information can be found by consulting the Press Release announcing the study's publication, and the study's Executive Summary and Full Report.