The Marshall Islands-flagged Federal Biscay sailed December 28 as the Port of Duluth-Superior’s last oceangoing departure of the 2024 navigation season.

Carrying durum wheat destined for North Africa, the vessel will now navigate below-average ice coverage across the Great Lakes, exiting the St. Lawrence Seaway System prior to the Montreal-Lake Ontario section’s seasonal closure on Jan. 5, 2025.

The shipment extended a fourth-quarter rally for agricultural commodities moving through North America’s farthest-inland seaport, boosting grain tonnage toward its best total since 2020.