Grain drives Port of Thunder Bay's 2025 season, port authority says

The Port of Thunder Bay shipped a little over 8.9 million metric tonnes of grain in 2025, contributing to a total of about 10.7 million tonnes of cargo for the year.

The Port of Thunder Bay closed its 2025 shipping season when the last laker carrying grain departed early Monday. The port recorded just over 10.7 million metric tonnes of cargo for the year, a slight decline from 2024. Chief executive officer Chris Heikkinen said grain was the main driver of activity, with higher volumes of canola, wheat, soybeans and oats. He noted a mix of other commodities also supported overall throughput. Port 2025 figures: - Total cargo: 10.7 million metric tonnes in 2025, down slightly from 10.8 million in 2024. - Grain: a little over 8.9 million metric tonnes in 2025, up from 8.17 million metric tonnes in 2024. - Potash: 1.16 million metric tonnes in 2025, down from 1.87 million metric tonnes in 2024; the article notes a west coast export port closure last year affected flows. - Dry bulk: 266,725 metric tonnes in 2025, up from 247,780 metric tonnes in 2024, including sand, stone, fertilizer, clay and cement. - Coal and liquid bulk: coal shipments fell to 284,344 metric tonnes from 447,201, while liquid bulk declined to 8,263 metric tonnes from 11,981. - General cargo rose to 50,322 metric tonnes from 48,087, and Keefer Terminal will continue loading steel, pipe and rail commodities to rail through the winter, the article says. Summary: Grain volumes were the standout in 2025 and helped the port record its strongest grain shipments since the pandemic, even as overall cargo was slightly lower than in 2024. Some commodity lines, notably potash, coal and liquid bulk, declined. Port operations at Keefer Terminal will continue through the winter to move stored rail-bound commodities ahead of the next shipping season.