Port of Vancouver Handles 6% More Cargo

VANCOUVER - Jan 29/04 - SNS -- Canada's Port of Vancouver reported a 6% increase in total shipping volumes through the port to 66.7 million metric tons (MT) and record container shipments of 1.54 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units).

Container shipments increased 6% from 1.46 million TEUs in 2002; while containerized import volumes grew 1% to 748, 251 TEUs, while containerized export volumes grew 10% to 790,807 TEUs.

Grain shipments jumped 22% to 6.7 million MT, with wheat rising four% to 3.4 million MT and canola recording a dramatic 79% increase to 2.8 million MT based on shipments to Mexico, China and the emergence of Pakistan as a new market.

Potash increased 17% to 4.6 million MT.

Total dry bulk shipments increased 7% to 44.2 million MT

Coal -- the Port of Vancouver's single largest commodity -- rose 5% to 24.2 million MT.

Sulphur increased 5% to 5.4 million MT.

Liquid bulk shipments through the Port of Vancouver increased 5% to 6.8 million MT.

Petroleum products increased 4% to 4.2 million MT.

Shipments of forest products increased 3% to 7.6 million MT. Lumber shipments declined 1% to 1.9 million MT, while wood pulp shipments climbed 7% to 4.3 million MT, based on strong demand from China.

Total chemical volumes remained even with 2.4 million MT shipped.

The subscriber version of the article is available by Clicking here