Indiana Shipping Ports See Big Jump In Cargo Shipments

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana's three major shipping ports handled a record amount of cargo last year as a big jump in coal shipments helped them see 25 percent growth from 2017.

The Ports of Indiana agency says the two Ohio River ports at Mount Vernon and Jeffersonville and the Lake Michigan port at Burns Harbor handled 14.8 million tons of cargo last year. That's 21 percent more than the previous record in 2015.

The agency says coal shipments grew 58 percent from 2017. Other factors in the business growth include a 26 percent jump in soy products, 17 percent more grain and a 4 percent increase in steel.

The Burns Harbor and Jeffersonville ports together shipped more than 2 million tons of steel, making that each port's largest commodity.