Vancouver cargo volumes up across board save for breakbulk

Vancouver cargo volumes up across board save for breakbulk The Port of Vancouver experienced record overall tonnage growth during the first half of 2007 and posted gains in all business sectors with the exception of breakbulk, according to mid-year statistics released Wednesday by the Vancouver Port Authority.
   In June, the Port of Vancouver also showed its highest ever volume for a one-month period, when it handled 7.8 million tons of cargo.
   Total tonnage increased 4.5 percent to a record 39.9 million tons. Bright spots included potash volumes, which surged by nearly 137 percent to more than 3 million tons, and lumber volumes, which jumped by almost 25 percent to 1.4 million tons. Coal continued as the top commodity by volume, and together with increases in potash reflects a strong recovery from a slow start to the year due to weather and rail service issues. Sulphur volumes decreased 14 percent, due to lower Canadian production and high domestic demand so far this year.
   Growth in minerals, metals and inorganic chemicals reflects continued economic expansion and manufacturing activity in Asia as well as booming construction activities in British Columbia and Alberta. Inorganic chemicals, including caustic soda, locally used in manufacturing pulp, paper and textiles, increased 80 percent.
   Strong trade flows between Canada and the United States saw petroleum products, particularly crude oil and jet fuel, increase 18 percent. Lumber and other wood products rose significantly, in part due to recent growth in demand from Japan. Wood pulp exports decreased due to a strong North American domestic market as well as competition from South America and Asia.
   Container traffic at the Port of Vancouver increased 5 percent, reflecting growth of laden import and export traffic. Volumes reached 1.1 million TEUs, up from 1 million at the mid-year mark in 2006. Stronger than anticipated outbound laden container traffic is contributing to a very positive outlook for the year overall, the port said.
   Grain traffic at the port decreased overall as some wheat exports were diverted through the Port of Prince Rupert, while a share of canola business to Mexico was shipped over land by rail rather than sea. Volumes of specialty grains and other cereals increased 6 percent and 64 percent, respectively, with increasing demand for Canadian product from Asia and the Indian subcontinent.
   Breakbulk cargo was down slightly in response to an increasing shift of breakbulk volumes to containers and a reduction in steel imports, as well as the decline in wood pulp exports mentioned earlier.