Marine freight

Marine transportation is an essential component of Michigan’s freight transportation system. The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway form a maritime transportation system extending 2,300 miles from the gulf of the St. Lawrence Seaway on the Atlantic Ocean to the western end of Lake Superior. Michigan’s 3,200 miles of shoreline along four of the five Great Lakes contain 33 active cargo ports that ship or receive cargo. Michigan’s ports handle 51.7 million tons of cargo valued at $4.1 billion annually. It is a critical part of the overall freight transportation system and the modal diversity that is one of the state’s competitive advantages.

The maritime system is a partnership between the public and private sectors. The federal government generally maintains the infrastructure by way of congressionally authorized navigation channels, aids-to-navigation, and other marine services. The private sector typically provides the marine terminals, cargo vessels, and necessary access channels to reach the public channels. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) maintains a listing of all publicly and privately owned marine facilities throughout the state and works in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and other state agencies on issues impacting maritime navigation.

Michigan cargo port map