Halifax sees 16% drop in containers

Halifax sees 16% drop in containers The Port of Halifax said its overall cargo volumes in 2008 totaled 10.2 million tons, off about 16 percent from 2007
   The port said container and bulk cargo volumes fell in 2008 when compared to the prior year, while cruise, breakbulk and roll on/roll off volumes were up.
   Container volumes declined 21 percent to 387,347 TEUs, while breakbulk volumes grew 12 percent to 171,323 tons and roll-on/roll-off cargo increased nearly 16 percent to 283,404 tons.
   Bulk cargo was off about 13 percent to 6.6 million tons and the port saw a 29 percent increase in cruise passengers to 228,133.
   “Ports are a bellwether for the health of the economy with imports and exports driven by demand,” the port said. Volumes were affected by the “international and North American economic recessions, frozen credit facilities globally, the volatility in the Canadian dollar and bunker fuel prices, and continued consolidation in the shipping line industry.”