First oceangoing ships enroute to Duluth-Superior ports

By Jayson Hron

Marshall Islands-flagged Federal Nagara is expected to be the first oceangoing arrival of 2025 in the Port of Duluth-Superior.

The Japanese-built cargo vessel is currently navigating the St. Clair River. As of this morning, the captain estimates a Sunday arrival under Duluth's Aerial Lift Bridge at approximately 3 p.m., however, shipping schedules are always subject to change. Vessel locations can be tracked in real time at VesselFinder.com or MarineTraffic.com. Live video of the Duluth Ship Canal is available at DuluthHarborCam.com.

Federal Nagara is part of the Fednav fleet, a flotilla that circumnavigates the globe more than 900 times annually. The vessel departed Germany's Port of Bremen in late March, carrying German-manufactured machinery destined for Duluth's Clure Public Marine Terminal. After crossing the Atlantic Ocean, she transited the St. Lawrence Seaway, stopping briefly in Quebec, at Contrecoeur, before continuing into the Great Lakes.

Duluth Cargo Connect will perform ship-to-shore cargo-handling and logistics operations for Federal Nagara, preparing the cargo pieces for last-mile transport to sugar mill facilities in North Dakota.

Should Federal Nagara arrive in Duluth as the first to make a full Seaway transit during the current shipping season, she would earn First Ship honors and make someone a winner in the 42nd Annual First Ship Contest, co-sponsored by the Duluth Seaway Port Authority and Visit Duluth.

Should she be delayed, a trio of oceangoing vessels could challenge for First Ship honors, as the Eeborg, Barbro G (last year's First Ship) and Asian Spirit are all scheduled to call at the Port of Duluth-Superior next week.

Historical Notes: The latest arrival of the port's first oceangoing ship was May 7, 2014 (Diana). The earliest was March 28, 2023 (Federal Dart). Last year, the season's first saltie arrived April 1 at 11:44 a.m. (Barbro G).

More than 700 vessels and 30 million short tons of cargo move through the Port of Duluth-Superior each year, making it the Great Lakes' largest tonnage port and one of the nation's top 20. The port supports more than 7,000 jobs and contributes $1.3 billion in business revenue to the regional economy, delivering crucial cargoes to and from the entire state.