US chem rail traffic drops for 7th week in a row

23 October 2008 17:54  [Source: ICIS news]

TORONTO (ICIS news)--US chemical railcar traffic for the week ended 18 October dropped 1.1%, the seventh straight decline amid the economic and financial crisis, according to data released on Thursday.

 

However, the decline was less marked than in past weeks when chemicals shipments plunged as producers had to cope with plant outages and supply disruptions caused by the US Gulf Coast hurricanes.

 

Chemical railcar loadings for the week totalled 28,686, compared with 29,008  in the same week in 2007, said the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

 

The weekly shipment data is a good early indicator of current chemical industry activity. Railroads transport more than 20% of the chemicals produced in the US.

 

For the year-to-date period through to 18 October chemical railcar loadings were up 1.4% to 1,289,069, from 1,271,220 in the same period last year.

 

Railcar loadings for all 19 commodity categories tracked by the AAR for the week totalled 326,374 cars, off 2.4% from 334,351 in the same week last year.

 

Among carload commodity groups showing gains from last year, metallic ores rose 11.7% while coal gained 5.3%. 

 

Among commodities registering declines were lumber and wood products, off 20.7%, motor vehicles and equipment, down 19.3%, and metals, off 20.8%, the AAR said.

 

Year-do-date through 18 October, overall railcar loadings for the 19 commodity categories were 13,671,118, down 0.3% from the same period of 2007.

 

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By: Stefan Baumgarten
+1 713 525 2653

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