DWCPA Economic Impact

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The Port of Detroit is located in the middle of the connected waterways of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway System. The ability to move heavy cargo on the water within the Great Lakes and through the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Atlantic Ocean and beyond helps build our local economy and creates good-paying jobs. Indeed, these waterways were integral to the development of the automobile industry Detroit. In 2022, the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority, as part of the American Great Lakes Ports Association, commissioned a study of the economic impacts of maritime shipping. The study found that:

• Over 214,000 jobs are directly and indirectly related to shipping within the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway System. In metro Detroit, shipping is responsible for over 6,000 jobs.
• Shipping was responsible for over $36 billion in economic activity in the States and Canadian Provinces along the waterways. In Detroit, $920 million of economic activity resulted from shipping.
• Total wages and salaries tied to shipping in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway system were over $17 billion and $529 million in Detroit.

For more detailed information, review the full reports below.