Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 1,039,924 tons in December, an increase of 37.7 percent compared a year ago, reports the Lakes Carriers’ Association (LCA).

However, the trade was down more than 40 percent compared to the month’s five-year average, according to LCA.

For the year the Great Lakes limestone trade totaled 27.9 million tons, an increase of 18.6 percent compared to 2009. Shipments from U.S. stone quarries rose 20 percent to 22.3 million tons. Loadings at Canadian quarries increased 13.4 percent to 5.5 million tons.

2010’s rebound was not enough to restore the stone trade to previous levels. Shipments were 16.3 percent off the trade’s five-year average, and nearly 30 percent below the volume recorded in 2006.