DULUTH, Minn. — The Marshall Islands-flagged Federal Biscay sailed this evening as the Port of Duluth-Superior’s last oceangoing departure of the 2024 navigation season.
Carrying durum wheat destined for North Africa, the vessel will now navigate below-average ice coverage across the Great Lakes, exiting the St. Lawrence Seaway System prior to the Montreal-Lake Ontario section’s seasonal closure on Jan. 5, 2025.
The shipment extended a fourth-quarter rally for agricultural commodities moving through North America’s farthest-inland seaport, boosting grain tonnage toward its best total since 2020.
Bookending the arrival of Barbro G on April 1, the Federal Biscay departure on Dec. 28 concluded a 272-day oceangoing navigation season for Duluth-Superior. Interlake shipping to and from the port, which began with the John J. Boland departure on March 21, will continue through mid-January. The Soo Locks’ seasonal maintenance closure is scheduled for Jan. 15, 2025.
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More than 700 vessels and 30 million short tons of cargo move through the Port of Duluth-Superior each year, making it the Great Lakes’ largest tonnage port and one of the nation’s top 20. The port supports more than 7,000 jobs and contributes $1.3 billion in business revenue to the regional economy. Learn more at DuluthPort.com.