Port of Vancouver boasts record cargo volume, despite strike and cooling economy

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority says record cargo volume rolled through its terminals last year, despite a sputtering global economy and a big drop in container shipments.

An unprecedented 150.4 million tonnes of bulk, breakbulk and container goods traversed the docks at the country’s largest port, a six per cent increase over the previous year.

The port authority says bulk exports — including grain and petroleum — as well as container exports and auto imports drove the increase.

However, overstocked retail inventories helped drag down overall container imports.

An economic slowdown, a 13-day strike by B.C. dockworkers in July and ongoing disruptions along the Red Sea and Panama Canal trade routes all posed challenges to smooth operations at the Port of Vancouver.

Port authority CEO Peter Xotta says the 12 per cent boost in exports to 142 countries in spite of those hurdles showcases the value of a diverse range of shipment types and national partners.