OTTAWA: With continued strong growth anticipated in maritime trade with Asia, Canadian ports in British Columbia on Canada’s West Coast are jockeying for position to increase market share. Various projects are underway or on the radar screen for capacity expansions in such key sectors as container and breakbulk facilities.
In its latest container forecast for the West Coast of Canada, UK-based Ocean Shipping Consultants (OSC) took into consideration emerging global economic trends, including a slowdown in China. But it concluded, nevertheless, that container demand through the Port of Vancouver and the Port of Prince Rupert could attain 7.5 million TEU by 2030, or about double the current box volume of two Canadian ports which are clearly seeking to grab business away from US Pacific Northwest competitors. According to OSC, the container trade through the West Coast of Canada will progress at an annual compound rate of about 4% – thereby reinforcing the need for planned increases through the existing Deltaport and Centerm terminals in Vancouver and Fairview Terminal in Prince Rupert operated by DP World. The report also asserts that Vancouver’s proposed giant Terminal 2 project on Roberts Bank (hotly contested by environmental activists in the region) will be needed by the mid-2020s.
