Shipping transports about 90 percent of global trade and Canada’s ports are key to moving goods and people via complex logistical supply chains extending to seaports in more than 170 countries throughout the world.
British Columbia is home to Canada’s largest and third largest ports, the Port of Vancouver and Port of Prince Rupert, respectively. These ports serve as strategic and critical gateways for Canadian shippers, manufacturers and retailers engaged in trade with Asia.
The Port of Vancouver alone generates nearly $12 billion in national GDP every year through its facilitation of trade with more than 170 world markets. In 2018 the port saw $147 million tonnes of cargo move through its facilities, including 3.4 million TEUs.
The Port of Prince Rupert has seen employment surge 1000 jobs since 2016. A recent economic impact study analyzed a wide variety of factors based on the 26.7 million tonnes shipped through the Port in 2018 and determined that significant economic and employment benefits continue to grow throughout the northern B.C. region.
In total, the international trade cargo handled in 2018 at the Port of Prince Rupert was valued at approximately $50 billion and the business of transporting that trade through the gateway created $1.5 billion of economic activity in the region.
Both ports have significant handling capacity for containers, grain and coal. Below are the key commodities moving through Vancouver and Prince Rupert.
