MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Port Milwaukee welcomed the Federal Nagara on Friday, April 3, marking the start of the port's 2026 international shipping season.

The vessel arrived carrying steel products loaded in Spain and Belgium after transiting the St. Lawrence Seaway. The Seaway's locks opened for the season on Sunday, March 22, connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

Port Milwaukee's international season runs roughly nine months, with 60 international vessel visits and more than 570,000 metric tons of cargo handled last year.

Staff boarded the vessel to present Captain Laiquer Rahman with a plaque honoring the first arrival of the season. The Federal Nagara sailed next for Thunder Bay, Ontario.