Iron ore and concentrates shipments from Canada declined by 20pc to 4mn mt in April 2020 compared to 4.9mn mt in the same month in 2019.
A decline in construction activity due to COVID-19 resulted in a decrease in lumber loadings by 25pc to 780,000mt in April 2020 compared to slightly over 1mn mt in the same month last year, according to the latest data from Statistics Canada.
However, agricultural product loadings which were considered essential products and services during the pandemic-related shutdowns increased in April 2020 against the same month a year ago. Overall Canadian railways shipments declined by 10pc to 30mn mt in April 2020 compared to the same month a year ago.
The motor vehicles and motor parts industry slipped by 91.3pc or 132,000mt to 13,000mt in April 2020 against 144,578mt in April 2019. Gasoline and aviation fuel shipments decreased by 78.8pc in railway car loadings to 68,604mt in April 2020 compared to 323,604mt in April of last year.