Economy, credit crisis cause backlogs at Vancouver ports
Thursday, October 16th, 2008 - 12:11 pm
According to Dave Bedwell, executive vice-president at COSCO Canada, pulp shipments are piling up on Vancouver docks, forcing producers to seek storage in BC’s Interior. Overseas buyers of wood pulp are taking longer to produce the letters of credit necessary for shippers to load goods aboard ship. Bedwell noted that pulp is the number one commodity shipped in containers, making up about a quarter of the trade for container lines that call on Vancouver. About 30% of B.C.’s pulp is exported to China, with another seven per cent going to Korea.
BC pulp exports fell 12% over the first eight months of 2008 compared with the same period in 2007. Anecdotal evidence indicates a continuing slide in September and October.
Shipments of grain and other commodities are also backlogged.
However, Vancouver’s total container shipments are up 3.3% this year, as container lines pick up more petrochemical and agricultural products to compensate for losses in other commodities.
|
Port Metro Vancouver: 2008 Mid-Year Stats (in metric tonnes except Cruise category) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cargo Totals | June 2008 YTD | June 2007 YTD | Change (%) |
| Total Tonnage | 58,477,997 | 61,763,494 | -5% |
| CARGO TYPE | |||
| Autos | 242,560 | 239,187 | +1% |
| Breakbulk | 10,466,579 | 12,118,275 | -14% |
| Bulk - Dry | 32,418,948 | 34,652,028 | -6% |
| Bulk - Liquid | 4,688,879 | 4,626,598 | +1% |
| Containerized | 10,661,031 | 10,127,406 | +5% |
| COMMODITY HIGHLIGHTS | |||
| Forest Products | 13,299,340 | 14,464,784 | -8% |
| Coal | 12,973,564 | 11,796,423 | +10% |
| Chemicals/Metals/Minerals | 8,279,063 | 11,196,467 | -26% |
| Grain, Special Crops and Feed | 6,713,042 | 7,024,999 | -4% |
| Potash | 3,438,753 | 3,135,984 | +10% |
| Sulphur | 2,726,432 | 2,545,850 | +7% |
| Petroleum Products | 3,088,866 | 3,020,857 | +2% |
| Total Container TEU | 1,223,390 | 1,173,115 | +4% |
| Total Laden TEU | 1,101,505 | 1,038,528 | +6% |
| Import Laden TEU | 608,021 | 593,246 | +2% |
| Export Laden TEU | 493,483 | 445,282 | +11% |
| Cruise | |||
| Revenue Passengers | 336,701 | 368,189 | -9% |
| Voyages | 102 | 110 | -7% |
Sources: Vancouver Sun, “Pulp backlog clogs B.C. port“; Port Metro Vancouver)
