The report, released on August 26, found B.C.’s maritime gateways at the ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo serve as the backbone of Canada’s international trade, facilitating the flow of goods that sustain national and provincial prosperity.

The three ports handled more than 200 million metrics tonnes of cargo in 2025 worth $409 billion, moving record volumes of what Canadians make, mine, harvest and grow to global customers in more than 170 overseas markets.

They handle a diverse mix of cargo, supporting the movement of everything from bulk exports of Canadian energy, forestry products, potash, grain and critical minerals to two-way container trade and imports of Asian-made vehicles, manufacturing parts and household necessities.

• Port of Vancouver: Located on B.C.’s southwest coast, the port comprises 29 major deep-water terminals and more than 1,000 tenants who move goods and people across five sectors (auto, bulk, breakbulk, container and cruise).
• Port of Prince Rupert: As Canada’s northernmost trade gateway on the west coast, the Port of Prince Rupert anchors one of the fastest and most reliable supply chains between North America and Asia, with 8 terminal and logistics facilities supporting over 7,900 jobs.
• Port of Nanaimo: Located 30 nautical miles from the Port of Vancouver, the Port of Nanaimo is an emerging Pacific gateway operating three deep-water terminals that support container, auto, bulk, breakbulk, cruise, and logistics services, connecting Vancouver Island to global markets and strengthening Canada’s trade and supply chain resilience.

B.C.’s west coast ports offer North America’s best access to Indo-Pacific markets that are on track to account for 50% of global GDP by 2040. This includes strong inland road and rail links across Canada, and unimpeded ocean access to the Indo-Pacific with North America’s fastest shipping times.

The study also found the ports helped enrich neighbouring local and First Nation communities through job and procurement opportunities, partnerships and support for local events, and environmental stewardship.

Key findings from the Economic Impact of West Coast Ports study include that the ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo, and their supply chains:

• Handled a record 200 million metric tonnes of cargo in 2025, worth $409 billion, or over $1.1 billion in goods each day.
• Moved $281 billion of Canada’s trade with overseas trading partners, or nearly 50% of Canadian trade with markets outside of North America.
• Sustained 152,100 jobs across Canada that paid $13 billion in annual wages and added nearly $25 billion to GDP. This included 61,000 direct jobs such as longshore workers, train engineers, truck drivers and administrative staff.
• West Coast Ports are critical community anchors that drive social value through employee volunteerism, charitable giving, and partnerships with local organizations and First Nations that strengthen civic ties and support education, social services, and community well-being.

The Economic Impact of West Coast Ports study was prepared by InterVISTAS