Rupert Port Getting Busier

By 250 News

Prince Rupert, B.C.- Traffic is increasing at the Fairview Terminal in Prince Rupert.  The first six months of 2008 saw 42,555 TEUs (435,550 tonnes) move through the Terminal.  That works out to about  7100 containers every month. Outbound containers accounted for nearly 50% of the throughput, of which 39% were fully laden for export to Asia.  Weekly container volumes through Prince Rupert have been steadily increasing since early April, from 1,232 TEUs to a record of 2,631 TEUs, compared to the North American West Coast port trend of declines in container imports. "All of the players involved in the Fairview Terminal, from labour and border security services to Maher Terminals, CN and COSCO, have been working collaboratively and diligently to meet shippers' needs and expectations," explains Shaun Stevenson, vice president Marketing & Business Development for the Prince Rupert Port Authority. "As a result, we are maintaining a high velocity in moving customers' cargo from point of origin to destination consistently on time, efficiently and quickly." The Port of Prince Rupert's growing container business achieved another significant milestone on July 19 with the arrival of COSCO's 7,455 TEU Long Beach, the largest container vessel to call at Prince Rupert since the intermodal container terminal began operations last October.  

"The container volumes at the Fairview Terminal are continuing to increase almost on a weekly basis while the West Coast trend is a decrease in container imports," notes Mr. Stevenson. 

"COSCO certainly has been very pleased with the congestion free and fluid operations of their vessels calling at the Fairview Container Terminal in Prince Rupert," says COSCO Canada Executive Vice President Dave Bedwell. "What is interesting to witness is watching an entire community doing whatever has to be done and their pride taken in doing so, to ensure that their new venture in containerization will be successful." The Port of Prince Rupert's overall performance continues to improve as well. Total volume throughput from January to June 2008 was 5,517,337 tonnes, up 11% compared to 5,021,819 for the first six months of 2007.

Email | Print | Facebook | Twitter | Digg | Del.icio.us