US Tariffs Threaten Great Lakes Shipping Tied To Canada Trade

By Brendan Murray

Sep 19, 2026 (Bloomberg) –The American Century often draws a crowd when the ship pulls into the Port of Duluth-Superior to load Minnesota iron ore. Kids cheer when the captain blasts the fog horn. A voice on the loudspeaker retells the story of how the 1,000-foot-long bulk carrier has sailed the Great Lakes for nearly a half century.

It’s a momentary flashback to the waning days of US industrial primacy. The vessel was built in 1981 in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and runs on four General Motors Co. diesel engines that generate more horsepower than a dozen Formula 1 cars. It