Container traffic increased by 11% over 2016 and reached a record of 3.3 million TEUs. This increase was mainly due to a global upswing in economic activity, which boosted Canadian export sales and overall strength in the transpacific container market.
Robin Silvester, president and chief executive officer at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, stated:
To meet future demand, we are taking steps to ensure the Port of Vancouver is ready to handle growing container volumes through Canada’s West Coast. A number of investments in infrastructure are already underway in the port to build container capacity.
Strong global demand for Canadian agriculture was met with a successful harvest in Canada and increased exports of grain through the Port of Vancouver.
The auto sector increased by 9% in 2017, as it saw a boost by a record year for auto sales across Canada and an increase in consumer confidence.
The breakbulk sector also saw a 2% increase because of strong woodpulp exports and increased movement of domestic consumer goods.
Finally, the cruise industry in Vancouver is growing steadily, as demand for cruises to Alaska continues to increase. In 2017, the port accommodated 236 cruise ships and 842,928 passengers compared to 826,820 passengers in 2016, an increase of 2%.
