Highlights

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1. After increasing for four consecutive years, total cargo handled at Canadian ports and marine terminals decreased 1.1% in 2006, due to decline in both domestic and international shipments.
2. The decline in the domestic cargo (-3.0%) was the major contributor to the overall decrease in waterborne shipments in 2006. Total international cargo handled went down by 0.3%.
3. Canadian ports handled more than 3.9 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers, an increase of 3.0% from 2005. The amount of cargo in these containers was 33.0 million tonnes, up 3.7% from the year before.
4. Total tonnage shipped to and from the United States slipped 1.5% in 2006 after reaching the highest level in 2005 for the past 15 years. Total shipments declined for all regions of the United States (Atlantic and Gulf, Great Lakes and Pacific). Shipments to and from the United States represented 38.4% of international tonnage. Decreases in the shipments of crude petroleum, wheat, iron ores and concentrates and other basic chemicals are among the major contributors to the overall decline.
5. International inbound and outbound waterborne shipments with the rest of the world (other than the United States) increased 0.6% to 203.3 million metric tonnes in 2006. Gains in the shipments of wheat, iron ores and concentrates, colza seeds (canola) and iron and steel – primary or semi-finished were offset by decreases in the volumes of crude petroleum, potash and barley.
6. The share of the total cargo handled by the ports and marine terminals of the 19 Canadian Port Authorities (CPAs) went up to 54.4% in 2006 from 53.2% in 2005. Loadings and unloadings at CPAs grew 1.1% this year as compared to a decrease of 3.5% in loadings and unloadings at non-CPA ports.
7. The Port of Vancouver, the country’s busiest port, handled 80.4 million metric tonnes of cargo, up 2.4% from 2005. This increase was attributed to higher international shipments.
8. In terms of Canada’s largest ports, as measured by cargo handled, the biggest drop in tonnage occurred at Come-By-Chance, where it declined 11.2 million metric tonnes or 28.7%, the third consecutive annual decrease. The decline was mainly due to lower domestic and international shipments of crude petroleum.
9. The tonnage handled at the Port of Saint John, N.B., dropped 13.7% or 3.8 million metric tonnes mainly due to a decline in inbound shipments of crude petroleum, petroleum based products (gasoline and aviation turbine fuel and fuel oils) and other basic chemicals.
10. The freight handled at Fraser River Port dropped 1.5 million metric tonnes or 9.9% in 2006 due to lower international outbound and inbound traffic. A reduced number of containers handled at the port also contributed to the decline.
11. The port of Prince Rupert experienced the biggest gain, where the tonnage increased 3.2 million metric tonnes or 73.8%, in 2006. Increased exports of coal and wheat were the main contributors to the gain.
12. The tonnage handled at Port-Cartier increased 2.3 million metric tonnes or 14.8% in 2006. The gain was due to increased international outbound shipments of iron ores and concentrates.
13. The port of Sept-Îles, including Pointe-Noire, handled more than 23.3 million tonnes of cargo in 2006, up 5.0% from 2005. Increased tonnage of international shipments of iron ores and concentrates and alumina were the major contributors to the gain.