Fednav, Canfornav and Poland's Polsteam dominate international dry bulk cargoes to and from the Great Lakes, thanks to their fleets of St Lawrence Seaway-capable handysize bulkers.

But breakbulk operators are also making a mark in the region.

Royal Wagenborg, BBC Chartering and Spliethoff are among those whose vessels are more commonly seen on the Great Lakes.

These companies run smaller vessels — generally between 20,000 dwt and 23,000 dwt — than those from the Great Lakes-focused operators, which are 35,000 dwt.