The Port of Vancouver is grappling with lingering congestion, expected to persist for at least three more weeks, as it works to clear a backlog of rail containers caused by vessel bunching, a pre-Lunar New Year cargo surge, and winter rail operating constraints. Rail container dwell times at the port rose to 6.9 days in December, with Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) working closely with terminal operators to alleviate the backlog. Improved conditions are anticipated by late January as import volumes drop with Lunar New Year factory closures in Asia. Meanwhile, the Port of Prince Rupert faced similar issues and has seen rail dwell times normalize in January.
