Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor welcomes Ocean7 Ranger as the first ocean vessel of the 2026 international shipping season

U.S. Steel cargo shipment ends one of shortest winter closures for Great Lakes shipping

Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor celebrated the start of the 2026 international shipping season Saturday with the arrival of the Ocean7 Ranger. The ocean vessel completed a 52-day voyage carrying equipment for facility improvements at U.S. Steel Gary Works, the largest integrated steel mill in North America.

The 2026 opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway to ocean vessels marked one of the shortest winter closures in history, totaling just 69 days from Jan. 12 until March 22.

To commemorate the occasion, Burns Harbor Port Director Ryan McCoy presented the Ports of Indiana “Steel Stein” to Captain Ilia Kalachov on board the Ranger. The presentation celebrates the first ocean vessel’s arrival and Northwest Indiana’s role as “The Steel Capital of North America.”

“Our port operates year-round, handling barge, rail, and truck shipments, but the arrival of the year’s first  ocean vessel is a signature moment,” McCoy said. “It represents Burns Harbor’s connection  to the world and new global trade opportunities for local companies. This was also one of the shortest winter closures of the Seaway on record, which underscores the capability and opportunity to expand our shipping season. Adding new icebreakers and practical technologies to extend the shipping window for vessels like the Ocean7 Ranger will allow our Great Lakes economy to better compete in global markets.”

Ocean7 Ranger is a general cargo carrier owned and operated by German ship management company HAMMONIA Reederei. The ship arrived at Indiana’s Lake Michigan port 52 days after departing from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, passing through the Pacific Ocean, Panama Canal, Atlantic Ocean, and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway.

The Ranger delivered a 63-ton dewatering drum that is being transferred from ship to dock, and then to barge for transport across the lake to U.S. Steel. Stevedore Logistec executes the port’s heavy lift transfers with support by local workers from the International Longshoremen’s Association and International Union of Operating Engineers.

The Ranger, a general cargo vessel built in 2005 by Volharding Shipyards in the Netherlands, is 441 feet long and 72 feet wide and has a dead weight tonnage capacity of 10,508 metric tons.

Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor handles over 2 million tons of cargo each year, including steel, steel-related materials, limestone, coke, salt, fertilizer, minerals, and iron ore.

The St. Lawrence Seaway opened March 22 for the 68^th international shipping season.  The Seaway routinely closes for up to three months during the winter for icy conditions and maintenance on the system’s 15 locks. However, groups are calling for implementation of new technologies, increased investment and added icebreaking capabilities that would extend the shipping season to promote growth in regional economies, new container shipping lines, and Great Lakes trade.

In 2026, the Indiana General Assembly unanimously  passed House Concurrent Resolution 9, calling for “all relevant agencies and  stakeholders to work collaboratively to explore extending the Great Lakes-St.  Lawrence Seaway navigation season to advance Indiana’s economic prosperity,  grow exports, and support Hoosier jobs.” The resolution, authored by  Representative Dave Abbott, had 26 bipartisan coauthors. (Resolution Link)