The Port of Vancouver | Canada’s Largest Gateway at the Heart of Global Trade, Connecting 170 Economies

Standing tall as Canada's largest gateway, the Port of Vancouver has facilitated global trade operations and the flow of commodities for nearly six decades, annually connecting businesses to 140-170 trading economies worldwide.

A Legacy of Global Trade Excellence Since 1964

What started as the Port of Vancouver in 1964 metamorphosed into Port Metro Vancouver in 2008, after merging with the Fraser River Port Authority to further up efficiency, in turn, forming what is currently one of the busiest seaports in the world. Since 2013, the Fraser Port Authority also joined the Canada Place Corporation, which was operating the Canada Place then.

But even when before the merger, the diversified port was not only the biggest in the country but the largest port in the Pacific Northwest and on North America's western coast, measured by its capacity and processing rate of a whopping 76.5 million metric tons of cargo. In 2006, it ranked the largest in terms of its container traffic capacity. It was then in 2013 that the authority readopted the name "Port of Vancouver".

How the Port of Vancouver Fuels Canada’s Commerce

A testament to the ever-evolving trade world, the port today hosts more than 1,000 tenants and is home to 29 major marine terminals, including domestic and deep-sea terminals, responsible for plying of automobiles, bulk, containerized, cruise, and break-bulk business sectors.

On the frontlines of trade in Canada, this trade powerhouse imports and exports some 140 million tonnes of goods on a yearly basis via innumerable vessels calling the port every day. Through its daily functions, the port sustains about 115,300 jobs distributed across five sectors, namely maritime cargo, cruise, shipbuilding and vessel repair, capital investment in port amenities, and non-maritime ventures.

Of course, the colossal port is not without its share of issues, with one of the major controversies revolving around years of corruption and smuggling being carried out here. "It is certain that organized crime groups and transnational criminal organizations will continue to exploit vulnerabilities at B.C.’s marine ports to facilitate smuggling both into and out of Canada," a 2017 report by Transport Canada highlighted, referring to 'Hells Angels' - an extensive group of people committing crimes at the port - and other cartels. In order to elevate security, a united demand for restoration of the Canada Ports Police was made by the solicitor general in the beginning of the year.

From Cargo to Cruise: Exploring Vancouver Port's Vast Network

However, accepting its flaws, the port continues to put in work and manage ship traffic, plan active movements, maintain mandatory escorts and supervision, while elevating the standards of ship transit procedures every day and maintaining navigational safety within its waterways.

The Vancouver port alone handles $300 billion in imported and exported goods annually, $9.3 billion worth in wages, and contributes $16.3 billion in GDP across Canada, along with the port activities sustaining 132,400 direct, indirect, and induced jobs across the country. Within these jobs, the port supports 52,000+ direct supply chain employment opportunities, including those of marine pilots, tug operators, terminal authority employees, and so on.
(Data taken from https://www.portvancouver.com)

By 2030, the Port of Vancouver, a significant node in the global maritime logistics industry, aims at aggrandizing its growth by triple numbers via its 'Container Capacity Improvement Program (CCIP)'.