A comprehensive binational independent study of the economic impacts in the U.S. and Canada of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway navigation system for the 2022 shipping season details billions in economic activity and hundreds of thousands of jobs supported by the industry. Titled “Economic Impacts of Maritime Shipping in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region,” the study reviewed the industry’s economic impacts from multiple perspectives.

The analysis of the “Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System,” which is most relevant to American stakeholders because it focuses on cargo traffic to and from Great Lakes ports, showed that 2022 maritime commerce supported:

•           $36 billion (USD) in economic activity

•           More than 240,000 jobs, which generated almost $18 billion (USD) in wages

•           The movement of 135.7 million metric tons of raw materials and finished goods

•           $6.3 billion (USD) in state and federal taxes

The analysis of the “Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Waterway,” which is most relevant to Canadian stakeholders in that all Quebec impacts along the St. Lawrence were considered, showed that 2022 maritime commerce supported:

•           $66.1 billion (CDN) in economic activity

•           more than 355,000 jobs that generated more than $30 billion (CDN) in wages

•           the movement of 252.1 million metric tons of raw materials and finished goods

•           $12.8 billion (CDN) in taxes

The study was requested by a public/private sector committee of American and Canadian maritime organizations, with the intent of providing the navigation community, transportation planners, government policy makers and the public with a credible, independent assessment of the economic contributions made by commercial maritime shipping in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region throughout North America. An additional study detailing the public and private investments made in the Great Lakes -St. Lawrence Seaway System will be released this fall.