Port Metro Vancouver 2015 throughput declines despite container growth

The Canadian port reported container volumes rose 4.9 percent year-over-year to 3.1 million TEUs in 2015, a record for Port Metro Vancouver, due to increased trade with Asia.    Port Metro Vancouver, situated in Western Canada, handled 138.2 million metric tons of cargo in 2015, a 1 percent decline from 2014, according to statistics released by the port.
   The port reached record container volumes, handling 3.1 million TEUs in 2015, up 4.9 percent year-over-year, which it attributed to increased trade with Asia. A total of 12 fully cellular (container dedicated) shipping services currently operate between Port Metro Vancouver and Asia, according to ocean carrier schedule and capacity database BlueWater Reporting’s Port Dashboard tool.
   In terms of tonnage, container throughput rose 2.1 percent from 2014 to 25.2 million metric tons.
   Bulk cargo volumes fell 1.5 percent year-over-year in 2015 to 96.2 million metric tons. Coal exports dropped from 2014, while bulk grain exports and wheat exports also set records in 2015.
   Port Metro Vancouver handled 16.5 million metric tons of breakbulk cargo in 2015, down 2.9 percent from 2014. Breakbulk forest product exports declined in 2015, and foreign metal imports during the second half of the year fell sharply compared to the prior year.
   However, auto volumes rose 9.4 percent year-over-year, driven by another record year for Canadian auto sales. Over 99 percent of auto volumes were imports, which primarily came from Japan, followed by South Korea and then the United States.