Ports of Indiana celebrates first vessel shipment of 2023

The Ports of Indiana on Tuesday marked the opening of the 2023 international shipping season with the first vessel arriving at the Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor. The captain of Polsteam’s Isadora, a bulk carrier coming from the Netherlands, was presented with the commemorative Ports of Indiana “Steel Stein.”

The vessel arrived at Burns Harbor after a two week trip. The port authority said crews will unload more than 8,350 tons of steel coil before the vessel travels to Milwaukee to unload its remaining cargo.

“We look forward to the first ocean vessel in Burns Harbor every year as a sign that spring is coming and our port’s international connection to the world is now open,” Port Director Ryan McCoy said in written remarks. “Our unique deep-water terminal has tremendous capabilities for shipping everything from grain to steel to salt to wind component cargoes on ocean vessels to and from the Heartland of America and global markets.”

The “Steel Stein” is designed to commemorate the northwest Indiana region’s identity as a major steel producer.

The Isadora traveled through the St. Lawrence Seaway, which reopened March 22 after closing for the winter in December. The U.S. Department of Transportation says more than 35 million metric tons of cargo moves through the seaway system each year.

Last year, the Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor handled 3.45 million tons of cargo, setting a record for the second consecutive year. Overall, Indiana’s three ports handled 11.9 million tons, a 6% increase over the previous year.