News

International heavy-lift honor, Duluth’s second since 2019, recognizes cargo-handling success DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth Cargo Connect was named 2026 Port/Terminal Operator of the Year at the Heavy Lift Awards today in London, earning the global honor for the second time in seven years. Presented by Heavy Lift & Project Forwarding International, the award recognizes port… Read more »

DULUTH, Minn. — Tonnage for the Port of Duluth-Superior totaled 11.4 million short tons through Aug. 31, 2026, trailing the 2025 midseason pace by approximately 3.9 million tons. Reduced coal shipments accounted for roughly 75 percent of that decline – 2.9 million tons – as North American energy production continued its shift away from coal-fired… Read more »

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Seaway Port Authority and its terminal operations on Rice’s Point once again ranked among the top-tier environmental performers in North America, according to the recently released Green Marine 2025 Performance Report. The Port Authority posted an overall score of 3.38 on Green Marine’s five-level scale, leading all U.S. Great Lakes… Read more »

Largest MARAD grant in port history will prepare strategic 7.5-acre Rice’s Point pier for next generation of cargo use DULUTH, Minn. — The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced April 28 that it awarded the Duluth Seaway Port Authority $27.5 million through its Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) to fund the Duluth Lake Port pier redevelopment… Read more »

DULUTH, Minn. — Late yesterday, tugboat Meredith Ashton and a 240-foot deck barge loaded with project cargo became the first vessel in decades to dock at the rebuilt northeast-facing Berth 10 on the Clure Terminal Expansion pier. The 667-foot berth, along with northwest-facing Berth 11, opened for use following a $10.5 million reconstruction project completed… Read more »

DULUTH, Minn. — Ocean7 Ranger arrived under Duluth’s Aerial Lift Bridge at 7:32 a.m. Central Time on April 8, becoming the first oceangoing vessel to complete a full transit of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System and reach the Port of Duluth-Superior during the 2026 navigation season. “It’s always an exciting day and a sure sign… Read more »

DULUTH, Minn. — During its annual meeting held March 25, the Duluth Seaway Port Authority Board of Commissioners elected officers for the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2026. Commissioners re-elected to their posts include Patrick Boyle as president, Mike Jugovich as vice president, Yvonne Prettner Solon as secretary, Brian Murphy as treasurer and Ida Rukavina… Read more »

DULUTH, Minn. — The Soo Locks’ seasonal closure Jan. 15, 2026, capped a challenging 301-day navigation season for the Port of Duluth-Superior. Hampered by a combination of unfavorable market trends and geopolitical forces, total waterborne tonnage at North America’s farthest-inland seaport fell to 25.3 million short tons for the 2025 season—a 14.6% decline from 2024… Read more »

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Seaway Port Authority recently named Nate Cavallin as its chief financial officer. Cavallin joins the Port Authority after eight years as finance director at Aspirus Lake View Hospital in Two Harbors, Minnesota, where he managed large-scale budgetary operations, oversaw billing and payments, and led efforts to optimize funding across business… Read more »

DULUTH, Minn. — The United States Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (GLS) announced Friday the recipients of its Robert J. Lewis Pacesetter Award for international cargo tonnage increases during the 2024 shipping season, a septet that included the Port of Duluth-Superior. Driven by gains across multiple cargo categories, Duluth-Superior claimed its 18th Pacesetter… Read more »