For the first time since 2008, the Port of Green Bay has surpassed 2 million tonnes of cargo for the season, and there are still several weeks of shipping traffic left.

Through November, the port has handled 2.02 million tonnes of cargo, up 26 per cent over the same time in 2010, according to a monthly report from the port.

"We broke 2 million (tonnes), so we are definitely better than last year," said Port Manager Dean Haen. "We did 2.2 (million tonnes) in 2008 and 2.3 in 2007, so we're going to be right back to those years.

"I know 2009 and 2010 were less than 2 million," he said.

Haen said anything above 2.1 million tonnes is a "strong" year.

Cargo shipments in Green Bay — and around the Great Lakes — were hobbled in recent years by the recession, but have showed noticeable gains this year.

More than 308,650 tonnes of cargo — inbound and outbound — passed through the Port of Green Bay in November. In 2010 that figure was 254,949 tonnes.

One of the factors boosting numbers this year is a new petroleum terminal owned and operated by U.S. Venture.

Through the end of last month, the port had imported and exported about 200,000 tonnes of petrol, according to the report.

"If they have growth taking off from this point, they're going to be a huge player in the port," Haen said.

Through October, U.S. ships carried 75 million tonnes of cargo on the Great Lakes, according to the Ohio-based Lake Carriers' Association. That's 3.8 per cent more than 2010, but 2 per cent less than the five-year average.

Total November cargo numbers from the association will be released later this month, but last month's limestone numbers were released earlier this week and showed total shipments of that commodity were up about 1.2 per cent from the same time in 2010.

For the season, the limestone trade is about 156,000 tons less than 2010 and about 10.5 per cent less than the five-year average, according to the association.

December has been a brisk month so far in the port.

On Wednesday morning, the cement barge Integrity was at the LaFarge terminal while the laker Arthur M. Anderson was delivering coal at C. Reiss Coal Co.

Trade will continue for a several more weeks with the locks at Sault St. Marie staying open into January while St. Lawrence Seaway locks — which provide access the to ocean — will close late this month.

"Most of trade that happens in December in Green Bay is inter-lake; cement and coal," Haen said.

Ship traffic for terminals with limited storage space — petroleum tanks, cement silos and other fixed structures — likely will continue into Green Bay as ice conditions allow.