Cargo tonnage from the start of the St. Lawrence Seaway system shipping season in late March through November is up nearly 5 percent over last year through November 2013.

The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation says that 34,587,000 metric tons of cargo have traversed the Seaway from the open of the shipping season March 25 through November this year, an increase of 1,626,000 tons, or 4.93 percent, over last year’s shipments.

Canadian Seaway management says it expects the season will close ahead of last year by a similar margin.

Grain is leading the way this year, up more than 44.37 percent, from 7,018,000 tons through November last year to 10,131,000 tons through this November.

General cargo, the smallest category of cargo tracked, is proportionally up the most, from 1,539,000 tons through November 2013 to 2,787,000 tons through this November, an increase of 81 percent.

Iron ore shipments are down 29.96 percent, from 8,877,000 tons through November 2013 to 6,218,000 tons this year so far.

Vessel transits of the system are down slightly, from 3,511 last year to 3,452 this year.

The shipping season on the Seaway did not reach full capacity until April this year due to late ice in the system.