Telling the Tale of Shipping in America

The  Great Lakes Seaway shipping industry has produced “American Anchor,” a series of short films highlighting key transportation supply chains and illustrating the global and regional impacts of Great Lakes Seaway shipping. Each year, waterborne transportation in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region is responsible for supporting over 241,000 jobs and $36 billion in economic activity by moving necessary cargos that support the agriculture, construction, automotive and energy industries. 

The first American Anchor short film tells the tale of the steel-making supply chain, beginning at the iron ore mines of Minnesota, then moving through Lake Superior and the Soo Locks on a freighter destined for the steel making complex at Burns-Harbor, Indiana. From there, the iron ore is followed through production as it’s made into steel that’s used to construct the world around us.

The second American Anchor short film tells the tale of the agricultural export supply chain, beginning at farms across the Midwest. After the harvest, agricultural commodities make their way to a Great Lakes port. There, they are loaded on a freighter and moved through the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Seaway system to the Atlantic Ocean and on to Europe. Exported agricultural products are used to produce everything from bread, pasta, soymilk, and vegetable oil to beer, ethanol, and animal feed.

The third American Anchor short film highlights the important role Great Lakes Seaway shipping plays to deliver wind energy cargoes. Because of their size, these massive components can only be moved by ship, the least disruptive form of transportation.