Canadian Railroad Volume Trends Higher in May
Railway carloadings, May 2025
On Friday, Statistics Canada (StatCan) reported that Canadian railways carried 32.7 million tons of cargo in May, up 0.1% year-over-year. The slight increase was driven by higher shipments of wheat, iron ores, and potash.
May’s total tonnage was above the five-year average for the month and second only to the record high of 34.7 million tons in May 2019.
Gains were partially offset by a 13.2% drop in lumber loadings, which fell by 105,000 tons from May 2024—marking the seventh straight month of annual declines. Cement loadings also fell sharply, down 46.2%, or 130,000 tons.
Freight loadings from US rail connections totaled 3.6 million tons in May, down 13.2%, or 543,000 tons, from the same month in 2024. This was the lowest May volume in four years and followed steep year-over-year declines in March (down 15.0%) and April (down 22.5%).
FEA compiles the Wood Markets News from various 3rd party sources to provide readers with the latest news impacting forest product markets. Opinions or views expressed in these articles do not necessarily represent those of FEA.