Container traffic at the Port of Vancouver declined by 3% to 3.6 million TEUs, due to inland supply chain congestion. Imports fell 4% to 1.8 million TEUs, while exports dropped 2% to 1.7 million TEUs.
Overall cargo volumes via the Canadian port decreased by 3% in 2022, following a 3% increase in the second half of the year, fuelled by Canadian resource exports.
Furthermore, according to the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s 2022 statistics, 141.4 million metric tonnes (MMT) of goods were moved through the port’s terminals in the last year, up from 146.5 MMT in 2021.
Grain and fertiliser exports from Canada increased the most in the second half of the year. Strong grain volumes from September onwards, however, were insufficient to compensate for the early-year downturn, with overall bulk grain volumes down 23% for the year.
Bulk grain was up 34% in the second half of 2022 compared to the same time the previous year, with grain terminals hitting two consecutive monthly grain handling records of 3.3 MMT in October and 3.4 MMT in November, as the Prairies’ 2022 bumper crop made its way to market through the Port of Vancouver.
