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Shipping in Canada 2006 (preliminary)
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The total tonnage handled by Canadian ports and marine terminals fell in 2006 after 4 successive years of growth. This came at a time when the national economy experienced a slowing pace in the expansion of real GDP of 2.7% in 2006; down from 2.9% in 2005. 1 Despite higher commodity prices and stronger exchange rate, the nominal value of total merchandise trade grew at a slower pace 2.2% in 2006 compared to 6.2% the previous year. International trade in goods with the United States decreased 0.4% to $625.9 billion due to lower exports. 2 At the same time, growth in the trade volume with the rest of the world 3 ($234.2 billion) decelerated to 10.0% in 2006, from 11.3% in 2005. A slowing in nominal merchandise trade growth during the year may have contributed to reduced activity at Canada’s ports and marine terminals.
The total cargo handled at Canadian ports and marine terminals dropped 1.1% to 466.3 million metric tonnes (Mt) in 2006. Decreases in both international (between Canadian and foreign ports) and domestic (between two Canadian ports) cargoes contributed to the decline. International cargo was down 0.3% to 330.1Mt in 2006. Similarly, domestic tonnage handled fell 3.0% to 136.2Mt in 2006. 4
International marine cargo
International cargo handled dropped due to a decline in inbound shipments in 2006. International cargo unloaded at Canadian ports fell 3.9% during the year. Crude petroleum (down 5.9Mt), which represented over 28.3% of the inbound cargo in 2006, was the largest contributor to the decline. Outbound cargo rose 2.1% to 206.0Mt in 2006. The rise in outbound cargo was largely attributed to increased tonnage of iron ore and concentrates, wheat (each up 3.0Mt), colza seeds (up 1.4Mt) and stone, sand, gravel and crushed stone (up 1.2Mt). These four commodities accounted for about 31.0% of the total tonnage of outbound traffic.
Container traffic
International container traffic, both in terms of volume and tonnage, handled by Canadian ports and marine terminals, continued its upward trend in 2006. During the year, Canadian ports handled over 3.9 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), up 3.0% from 2005. The Port of Vancouver led the country’s ports in container handling with 56.5% share of the total container traffic in 2006. Overall the tonnage of international containerized cargo went up 3.7% to 33.0Mt in 2006. Increases in both outbound and inbound containerized cargo handled took the activity to a new height. Leading the growth were containerized shipments to and from ports in the Atlantic and Gulf region of the United States which rose 0.9Mt. These were followed by the European (up 0.5Mt) and Central America and Antilles (up 0.4Mt) regions. Containerized cargo from Asia, accounting for 50% of the total international containerized shipments, fell by 0.1Mt to 16.5Mt in 2006.
Canada – United States cargo
Total shipments to and from the United States dropped 1.5% to 126.7Mt in 2006. Contributing to the decline were lower cargo movements from Canada to the United States which decreased 1.6% to 84.4Mt in 2006. Inbound cargo from the United States also contributed to the decline falling 1.3% to 42.3Mt in 2006. Despite this drop, traffic between Canada and the United States still accounted for about 38.4% of the total international shipments handled at Canadian ports.
Outbound shipments of crude petroleum, which accounted for more than a quarter of the total tonnage heading to the United States, fell 6.4%. Other commodities which contributed to the decline were gasoline and aviation turbine fuel, logs and other wood in the rough and other refined petroleum and coal products. Despite this, increased shipments of stone, sand, gravel and crushed stone, iron ores and concentrates and fuel oils to the United States were enough to partially offset the decline. Most of the outbound tonnage to the United States (63.6%) was destined for ports in the Atlantic and Gulf region.
The largest decline in inbound cargo from the United States was noted in the tonnage of iron ores and concentrates (down 1.1Mt) followed by wheat (down 0.7Mt), other basic chemicals (down 0.4Mt) and wood chips (down 0.2Mt). The quantity of coal, the commodity which accounted for over 40% of the total inbound tonnage from the United States, went up (0.7Mt). Cargo arriving from the United States Great Lakes region continued to account for the majority of the total inbound tonnage.
The share of Canada – United States cargo handled by Canadian registered vessels edged up slightly to 40.0% in 2006, from 39.6% in 2005. On the other hand, the share of United States-flag vessels declined slightly to 12.3% during the year compared to 13.1% in 2005. Foreign-flag ships carried the remaining cargo and their share increased to 47.7% in 2006, from 47.3% in 2005.
Canadian-flagged ships continued to handle most of the cargo (80.7%) in the United States Great Lakes region. However, the share of cargo handled by Canadian registered vessels in the Pacific region of the United States decreased to 29.2% in 2006, from 30.8 in 2005. Foreign-flag ships continued to dominate shipping activities (more than 90%) between Canadian ports and the Atlantic and Gulf region of the United States during 2006.
Canada – Overseas cargo
Total international cargo (to and from countries other than the United States) increased for the fourth consecutive year rising 0.6% to 203.3Mt in 2006. The growth in total overseas tonnage was due to an increase in outbound shipments which were more than sufficient to offset a decline in shipments received from the overseas ports.
International cargo from Canada to countries, other than the United States, increased 4.9% to 121.6Mt in 2006. The increase in outbound tonnage was attributed to higher shipments of wheat (up 3.1Mt), iron ores and concentrates (up 2.4Mt) and colza seeds [canola] (up 1.4Mt). The majority (49.1%) of the overseas outbound tonnage was destined for Asia followed by Europe (28.5%).
Total inbound shipments from overseas ports declined 5.2% to 81.7Mt in 2006. Decreases in the shipments of crude petroleum from ports in both Europe (down 3.7Mt) and Africa (down 1.3Mt) were the major sources of decline. Most of the tonnage arriving at Canadian ports from overseas originated from Europe (30.7%) and Africa (23.8%).
Vessels registered in Panama (21.8%), Hong Kong (10.8%), Liberia (9.9%), Greece (9.3%) and Bahamas (7.2%) continued to handle significant portions of the overseas cargo destined to or originating from Canada. Canadian flagged ships were of negligible importance in carrying overseas shipments.
Domestic Cargo
Domestic cargo handled at Canadian ports and marine terminals dropped 3.0% to 136.2Mt in 2006. The drop in volume of domestic cargo was the result of declines in the tonnages of crude petroleum (down 7.4Mt); wood chips (down 1.3Mt); stone, sand, gravel and crushed stone; and fuel oils (each down 0.6Mt). Increased quantities of wheat (up 2.6Mt); salt (up 1.5Mt); logs and other wood in the rough (up 0.7Mt); and other metallic ores and concentrates (up 0.5Mt) partially offset the decline.
In the Atlantic region the tonnage of domestic cargo handled dropped 8.0Mt to 39.0Mt in 2006. The commodities which contributed to the decline included crude petroleum (down 7.4Mt), fuel oils (down 0.6Mt), gasoline and aviation turbine fuel (down 0.5Mt) and limestone (down 0.4Mt). However, the amounts of salt and other metallic ores and concentrates handled in the region increased 0.3Mt and 0.2Mt, respectively.
Ports in the St. Lawrence region handled 2.1Mt (7.6%) more domestic tonnage to reach 29.5Mt in 2006. Increased tonnages of wheat (up 1.4Mt), salt (up 0.5Mt), other metallic ores and concentrates (up 0.4Mt) and stone, sand, gravel and crushed stone (up 0.2Mt) were primarily responsible for the rise. However, reduced amounts of limestone (down 0.2Mt) and logs and other wood in the rough (down 0.1Mt) handled in the region partially offset the gains.
Ports and marine terminals in the Great Lakes region handled more domestic cargo in 2006 (up 5.7%). Commodities primarily responsible for the increase included wheat (up 1.3Mt), salt (up 0.6Mt), iron and steel – primary or semi-finished and iron ores and concentrates (each up 0.3Mt). The increase was partially offset by the reduced tonnages of stone, sand, gravel and crushed stone (down 0.7Mt), coal (down 0.4Mt), other non-metallic minerals (down 0.3Mt) and metallic waste and scrap (down 0.2Mt).
Domestic tonnage handled at the ports in the Pacific region dropped 0.1% to 35.1Mt in 2006. The largest drop was observed in the amount of wood chips (down 1.4Mt) followed by stone, sand, gravel and crushed stone (down 0.3Mt). However, increased tonnages of logs and other wood in the rough (up 0.8Mt) and newsprint (up 0.4Mt) were enough to largely reduce the effect of the decline.
Port Authorities
Activity at the Port of Vancouver continued to grow in 2006, mainly due to increased volume of trade with Asia. Total cargo handled at the port increased 2.4% to 80.4Mt in 2006. Commodities that contributed to the increase were colza seeds [canola] (up 1.4Mt), wheat (up 0.6Mt), other manufactured and miscellaneous goods (up 0.5Mt), fresh, chilled or dried vegetables (up 0.4Mt) and articles of base metal (up 0.3Mt). Shipments of coal, the ports primary commodity 5 , declined 1.2Mt during the year, due primarily to the redirection of outgoing coal to other ports in the region. Other commodities which joined the decline included potash (down 1.1Mt), barley (down 0.5Mt) and wood chips (down 0.4Mt).
For the first time, the port’s container traffic passed the 2 million TEUs mark. Increases in both inbound and outbound container traffic contributed to the rise. The total containerized tonnage rose 21.3% to 16.5Mt in 2006.
The port of Montreal/Contrecoeur handled 24.7Mt of cargo in 2006, an increase of 2.1% from the 2005 levels. Higher international shipments of gasoline and aviation turbine fuel, wheat and fuel oils were the main contributors. These gains were partially offset by declines in the volume of other manufactured and miscellaneous goods, other basic chemicals and iron ores and concentrates. Decreases in the domestic shipments of some commodities also contributed to soften the effects of gains in the international tonnage. The port, Canada’s second largest container handling port, handled 1.1 million TEUs, up 2.1%, in 2006.
Total traffic in 2006 at the Port of Saint John, New Brunswick, dropped 13.7% to 23.6Mt. Declines in international inbound shipments of crude petroleum (down 2.4Mt), fuel oils (down 0.5Mt) and other basic chemicals (down 0.4Mt), coupled with drops in exports of gasoline and aviation turbine fuel (down 0.9Mt) and other refined petroleum and coal products (down 0.2Mt) heavily influenced the downward movement in port tonnage. Despite these drops, gains were registered in shipments of wood pulp as a result of the return to production of a forest products mill. In addition, potash and fuel oils exports increased at the port.
Traffic at the Port of Sept-Îles (including Pointe-Noire) increased to 23.3Mt, representing a 5.0% increase over 2005. Exports of iron ores and concentrates, which represented the bulk of the port’s activities, rose 6.3% to 18.3Mt. The port also registered a 28.3% rise in alumina imports to 1.1Mt in 2006.
Total tonnage handled at the Port of Québec (including Lévis) increased 1.4% to 23.1Mt in 2006 due mainly to higher domestic shipments. Higher transhipments 6 of wheat and sugar along with domestic movements of other metallic ores and concentrates and salt contributed to the rise in activity at the port. Reduced inbound international tonnage of crude petroleum (down 1.3Mt) considerably offset the gains in domestic shipments.
The Port of Halifax experienced a decrease (0.3Mt) in overall cargo to reach 13.7Mt in 2006. The drop in tonnage was primarily due to declines in international imports of crude petroleum (down 0.4Mt), fuel oils (down 0.2Mt), gasoline and aviation turbine fuel and machinery (each down 0.1Mt). Also, contributing to the drop was a reduction in international exports of other non-metallic minerals (down 0.1Mt). These declines were partially offset by gains in overall domestic shipments of crude petroleum (up 0.4Mt) and other non-metallic minerals (up 0.1Mt).
For its part, Fraser River Port’s traffic in 2006 decreased by 9.9% to just over 13.3Mt. The drop was largely attributed to declines in both outbound (down 1.3Mt) and inbound (down 0.6Mt) international cargo. There were gains in imports of iron and steel – primary or semi-finished (up 79.9%) and vehicles and parts and accessories (up 5.8%). The volume of containers handled, which had been growing steadily in recent years, fell sharply (down 77.4%) to 80,187 TEUs. Container activity at the port was heavily impacted by a consolidation in the shipping industry which resulted in the reallocation of container traffic in the Pacific Northwest region.
Cargo handled at the Port of Hamilton rose 3.7% to 12.6Mt in 2006. The increase was mainly due to higher tonnages of both inbound and outbound domestic cargo (each up 0.4Mt). Leading the growth in inbound domestic shipments were iron ores and concentrates and fuel oils. Despite a rise in the level of inbound coal shipments arriving from the United States Great Lakes region, total international tonnage handled at the port declined 5.0% to 6.3Mt.
Total cargo handled at the Port of Thunder Bay increased by 2.4% in 2006 to 8.3Mt, rebounding from the drop in 2005. Increased domestic shipments of wheat coupled with a rise in the international tonnage handled of other oil seeds and nuts and other agricultural products were the main contributors to the increase.
The port of Prince Rupert experienced its busiest year in 2006 since 2000, handling 7.6Mt of commodities, representing a 73.8% advance over 2005. Coal and grains 7 proved to be the chief drivers. The opening of new coal mines in northeast British Columbia and strong Asian demand for thermal coal fuelled a 262.7% increase in coal volume to 2.3Mt in 2006.
After handling 5.2Mt of cargo in 2005, activities at the Port of Windsor (Ontario) continued to trend upward in 2006 (up 7.1%) to reach 5.5Mt. It was a strong year for total outbound shipments of salt, which increased 41.7% in 2006 (up 0.6Mt). Also contributing to the growth in traffic at the port were increased imports of limestone and iron and steel – primary or semi-finished (each up 0.1Mt).
Cargo handled at North Arm Fraser River port continued to increase in 2006 (up 5.1%) to reach 5.4Mt. Both inbound and outbound traffic at the port, which handles only domestic cargo, contributed to the increase. All the commodities handled at the port experienced a rise except for wood chips and limestone.
Traffic at the port of Trois-Rivières reached 3.0Mt in 2006 from 2.5Mt in 2005, the highest total in more than a decade. The main contributing factor was a rise in international cargo which increased 9.8% from 2.0Mt in 2005. Gains were registered in international shipments of cement, other wood products (plywood, veneer) and other oil seeds and nuts and other agricultural products. Also contributing to the overall increase were gains in domestic shipments of salt, wheat and other non-ferrous metal – primary or semi-finished.
Cargo handled at the Port of Nanaimo, fell 1.4% in 2006. Gains in domestic cargo (up 12.7%) were insufficient to offset the decline in international shipments, which dropped 13.1%. The drop in international activity was led by a sharp decline in outbound shipments of logs and other wood in the rough (down 29.5%). The main driving force behind the rise in tonnage of domestic cargo was inbound wood chips, which increased 10.7% in 2006.
The port of Toronto’s volume declined 10.0% to 1.8Mt in 2006. A substantial increase in the tonnage of salt handled at the port could not offset the declines experienced in the volumes of stone, sand, gravel and crushed stone and other refined petroleum and coal products. Also contributing to the decline in total freight in 2006 was the absence of coal, which was shipped domestically for the first time from Toronto since 1990 in 2005.
Total tonnage handled at the Port of Belledune dropped 22.1% to 1.7Mt in 2006, from 2.2Mt in 2005. International cargo, which represented almost 90% of the total cargo handled by the port was the main factor behind the decrease. Declines in international shipments of coal, the ports primary commodity, coupled with decreased tonnage of coal coke and petroleum coke, other metallic ores and concentrates and other basic chemicals heavily influenced the drop in the port’s activity.
The amount of cargo handled at Port Alberni rose (0.3Mt) to reach 1.5Mt in 2006. The gains were achieved as a result of increased shipments of logs and other wood in the rough which accounted for almost 94% of the total tonnage handled by the port.
At the Port of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, the total tonnage decreased for a second consecutive year. Total shipments dropped to 1.3Mt in 2006 due to a decrease in domestic activity. Lower inbound domestic tonnages of gasoline and aviation turbine fuel (down 57.6%) and fuel oils (down 50.7%) were the major contributors to the decline in shipments at the port.
The volume of cargo handled at Port Saguenay (Chicoutimi) inched up 45,000 metric tonnes to reach 0.3Mt. This rise represented an increase in activity after several years of decline. Higher domestic inbound tonnage of salt was principally responsible for the increase.
