The recent release of the 2018 year-end statistics from the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority shows promising statistics for the Port of Vancouver as record cargo volumes were reached. See the following excerpt provided by the Port of Vancouver, the full article can be found on their website.

“The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority today released the 2018 year-end statistics for cargo through the Port of Vancouver. Overall cargo volume through Canada’s largest port reached a record high of 147 million tonnes, up 3.5 per cent from 2017.

One of the port’s biggest strengths continues to be the ability to accommodate the most diversified range of cargo of any port in North America. Sectors that experienced strong growth last year include containers, potash, canola products and barley, all of which hit new records in 2018.

For Canadian businesses large and small, container trade through the Port of Vancouver is essential to gaining access to international markets. However, forecasts show that Canadian west coast container ports will be full by as early as the mid-2020s and therefore unable to accommodate growing trade. In response, the port authority is working to create new terminal capacity.

“Canada’s international trade is growing. The port authority and all those who make up the Port of Vancouver are taking steps to ensure the port will be ready to handle the anticipated increase in cargo through Canada’s west coast,” said Robin Silvester, president and chief executive officer of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, the federal agency responsible for overseeing the Port of Vancouver. “This includes partnering with terminal operators to expand and improve operations in preparation to meet the expected increased demand.”

Even with the additional capacity provided by such improvements, forecasts from independent experts show it won’t be enough to manage Canada’s future trade demand. This highlights the need for the port authority’s proposed new container terminal at Roberts Bank.

In other sectors, a bumper harvest in Canada was met with strong global demand for Canadian grain, special crops and other agriculture products, resulting in steady exports through the Port of Vancouver. Combined, dry bulk and containerized grain hit record levels of 27.4 million metric tonnes, with canola and barley each reaching new records for 2018. In fertilizers, potash exports increased 27.6 per cent to record volumes.”

The full 2018 cargo statistics report from the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority can be found here.