Use of Great Lakes Ports and the St. Lawrence Seaway for Government Export Shipments

GAO responded to a congressional request to investigate maritime shipments by the Department of Defense and the Department of Agriculture to determine whether the Government is shipping goods overseas by the most economical route, the port closest to the point of origin of the shipment, and if not, why the Government agency is not using the closest port. GAO determined that an examination of all Government shipments would be nonproductive in view of existing cargo preference laws, seasonal disruption of Great Lakes shipping, and the infrequency of U.S.-flag service to Great Lakes ports. GAO agreed to provide the background information it had developed to explore the shipping plans of U.S.-flag carriers for providing service to Great Lakes ports during the 1980 shipping season.