Agricultural exports through Vancouver plummet in first half of 2022

garretschoenbergSeptember 22, 2022

In total, 68.3 million tonnes of cargo passed through the Port of Metro Vancouver in the first six months of 2022, compared to 76.4 million tonnes in the same period in 2021.

Robin Sylvester is CEO of Port Metro Vancouver. Photo by Jason Payne /state

Grain shipments, both bulk and container, through Port Metro Vancouver have plummeted by more than half in the first six months of 2022. statistics show.

The terminal moved only 7.9 million tons of wheat, barley, canola and other specialty crops in the first half of 2022, compared with about 19 million tons in the first half of 2021, with canola shipments down almost 90%.

Robin Sylvester, CEO of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, said drought-hit 2021 prairie grain harvests and last year’s grain stores to take advantage of high prices that depleted shipping stocks this year. said it reflects the results of the sale of

The terminal “expects volume to return this fall based on industry forecasts for a stronger harvest in 2022,” added Sylvester.

Despite the challenges, Sylvester said the port terminal has responded “with resourcefulness and tenacity”, which bodes well for the future.

The resumption of Alaska cruise operations after a two-year pandemic hiatus was a highlight for the port, but on the freight side, overall, the port saw a 7% decline in fertilizer shipments, forest product exports and even a 7% drop in containers. in trade.

In total, 68.3 million tonnes of cargo passed through the Port of Metro Vancouver in the first six months of 2022, compared to 76.4 million tonnes in the same period in 2021. This is an 11% decline, with the decline in export numbers accounting for the largest part.

Exports of forest products fell by 11% compared to 2021 to 10.6 million tonnes. This was primarily due to a 33% decline in timber shipments to destinations including a solid BC customer in Japan and mainland China.

The terminal shipped just over 692,908 tonnes worth of wood in the first half of 2022 compared to just over 1 million tonnes in 2021.

British Columbia timber trade statistics show exports to Japan fell 22%, while exports to mainland China, the province’s two largest markets after the United States, fell 21%.

Overall, the statistics reveal tensions in global supply chains, with declining imports of automobiles, electronics and other consumer goods, as well as a surge in the number of empty containers leaving ports, all accounts for 60% of the export containers of .

Container terminals processed 1.8 million Twenty Foot Equivalent Units (TEU) worth of container transactions, down 7% from 1.9 million TEUs in the same period in 2021, and exports fell 11%.

However, the number of empty containers returned to their destinations still increased by almost 11% to 510,783 TEUs, accounting for 30% of all containers passing through ports.

More coming.

More news, less ads: Our in-depth journalism is possible thanks to the support of our subscribers. For just $3.50 a week, get unlimited add-on access to The Vancouver Sun, The Province, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Subscribe now and support us: The Vancouver Sun |