Port Metro Vancouver says its numbers continue to grow, including setting records in the container and bulk sectors.
The port authority recently released its 2012 year-end statistics report, stating it handled 124 million tonnes of cargo through the end of December, an increase of one per cent over 2011. The 2012 throughput volumes reflect growth in Asian economies and continuing strength in the Canadian economy.
"In order to best support Canada's international and domestic trade, Port Metro Vancouver is seeking ways to engage with communities and improve the port's long-term sustainability," said president and CEO Robin Silvester.
"This gateway must thrive so that we can continue to support the B.C. economy - but we must also grow in a way that balances the impacts of major projects with effects on local communities, delivering benefits for all residents in the Lower Mainland and for Canada, while serving the operational and capacity requirements of Port Metro Vancouver's customers."
Both foreign and domestic tonnage were up over the previous year.
"As we deepen Canada's trade and investment ties in fast-growing, emerging Asia-Pacific markets, PMV's competitive advantages and continued success are helping to create jobs, growth and long-term prosperity in British Columbia and every region across our country," said said Ed Fast, minister of international trade and minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway.
B.C. Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Mary Polak agreed, saying, "Port Metro Vancouver is a key part of the success of Canada's Pacific Gateway, the preferred gateway to Asia for North American trade.
The port authority notes container traffic volumes continue to exceed forecasted growth, with 2012 container traffic setting a record with eight per cent growth over 2011 to 2.7 million TEUs (20-footequivelant units).
"It was a record year, a substantial growth of eight per cent, and that's really part of this pattern of longer-term growth, which is why we are looking at container expansion," Silvester told the Optimist.
"The other thing that links in to all of this is making best use of the facilities we already have, and the work we're doing with the trucking system is all part of the pieces of a bigger jigsaw picture that come together to create capacity for this underlying growth that we're seeing."
The port authority is currently updating its long-term land use plan as well as engaged in a consultation process for Terminal 2 (T2), a second three-berth container facility proposed for a site adjacent to the Deltaport container terminal at Roberts Bank.
Silvester noted the land use plan, which will enter a third phase of consultation, should be completed this year.
As far as T2, he said "a more formal" part of the consultation in the lengthy, multi-stage process will commence.
