Port Traffic Metrics: Milwaukee, Vancouver (BC)
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Milwaukee: Grain, Steel Underpin Busy 2016 Shipping Season
The Port of Milwaukee received 274 vessel visits and processed more than 2.4 million metric tons of cargo during its busy 2016 shipping season. The drop from 2.7 million tons in 2016 was largely due to fewer deliveries of deicing salt because of a mild winter season. Salt is the port’s most voluminous commodity.
There were increases, however, in grain throughput at Nidera’s private dock in the port’s Inner Harbor and raw material used in manufacturing.
Milwaukee also experienced a more than 50 percent increase in cargo shipped via the St. Lawrence Seaway in 2016. Those 447,000 metric tons included large quantities of steel and outbound agricultural products.
"While a variety of factors affect the quantity of grain shipped overseas from Milwaukee, in 2016 we saw multiple occasions when an arriving ship brought raw material for manufacturing and left with Wisconsin-grown grain headed for foreign destinations," said Milwaukee Port Director Paul Vornholt. "That synergy adds efficiency and cost savings for port users."
The attachment provides additional detail.
Vancouver (BC): Record Grain Exports Underpin Robust Port Traffic Year
Newly released year-end statistics show nearly 136 million metric tons of cargo moved through the Port of Vancouver during 2016. That was down 1.8 percent from 2015 despite record bulk grain shipments.
"One of our biggest strengths has been, and continues to be, the port’s ability to accommodate the most diversified range of cargo of any port in North America," said Robin Silvester, president and chief executive officer of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. "Since 2013, the Port of Vancouver has experienced its fourth consecutive year of traffic volumes over 135-million-tonnes, despite global economic downturns. Thanks to the confidence that port users and terminal operators have shown in the Vancouver gateway, combined with our focus on infrastructure development and sustainability, the Port of Vancouver is well-positioned for continued growth. We are pleased that investments are already underway to build capacity for this growth in multiple sectors."
Bulk grain export volumes rose 1.3 percent to 21.8 million metric tons. That gave the port its third consecutive record year and fifth straight year of grain cargo growth, all thanks to strong global demand and a bumper Canadian crop. Double digit gains by canola (+18.9 percent) and specialty crops (+17.9 percent) offset a 16.9 percent drop in wheat exports.
Containerized exports increased by 3.3 percent due to growth in woodpulp, grain and food and agriproduct shipments. Imports fell 2.4 percent, partly due, the port authority said, to the return of some traffic to U.S. West Coast ports after the ending of their 2015 labor dispute.
The weak Canadian dollar and a slowdown in industry investment and development activity in western Canada was reflected in the 17.2 per cent decline in metal and project cargo imports in 2016. A 22 per cent drop in breakbulk lumber and wood pulp also contributed to a decline in overall import and export breakbulk volumes.
Metallurgical coal volumes increased 1.8 percent in 2016 due to a 64.3 percent increase in exports to India and sustained demand from Japan, China, and South Korea. Coal volumes overall fell 6.1 percent overall because of a 28.8 percent plunge in thermal coal exports.
The Vancouver cruise industry experienced "stable growth" as demand for Alaskan cruises continued to increase. In 2016, the port welcomed 826,820 passengers, up 2.8 percent from 805,400 passengers in 2015.
The port’s Statistics overview – 2014 to 2016 offers more comprehensive data.
The Port of Milwaukee received 274 vessel visits and processed more than 2.4 million metric tons of cargo during its busy 2016 shipping season. The drop from 2.7 million tons in 2016 was largely due to fewer deliveries of deicing salt because of a mild winter season. Salt is the port’s most voluminous commodity.
There were increases, however, in grain throughput at Nidera’s private dock in the port’s Inner Harbor and raw material used in manufacturing.
Milwaukee also experienced a more than 50 percent increase in cargo shipped via the St. Lawrence Seaway in 2016. Those 447,000 metric tons included large quantities of steel and outbound agricultural products.
"While a variety of factors affect the quantity of grain shipped overseas from Milwaukee, in 2016 we saw multiple occasions when an arriving ship brought raw material for manufacturing and left with Wisconsin-grown grain headed for foreign destinations," said Milwaukee Port Director Paul Vornholt. "That synergy adds efficiency and cost savings for port users."
The attachment provides additional detail.
Vancouver (BC): Record Grain Exports Underpin Robust Port Traffic Year
Newly released year-end statistics show nearly 136 million metric tons of cargo moved through the Port of Vancouver during 2016. That was down 1.8 percent from 2015 despite record bulk grain shipments.
"One of our biggest strengths has been, and continues to be, the port’s ability to accommodate the most diversified range of cargo of any port in North America," said Robin Silvester, president and chief executive officer of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. "Since 2013, the Port of Vancouver has experienced its fourth consecutive year of traffic volumes over 135-million-tonnes, despite global economic downturns. Thanks to the confidence that port users and terminal operators have shown in the Vancouver gateway, combined with our focus on infrastructure development and sustainability, the Port of Vancouver is well-positioned for continued growth. We are pleased that investments are already underway to build capacity for this growth in multiple sectors."
Bulk grain export volumes rose 1.3 percent to 21.8 million metric tons. That gave the port its third consecutive record year and fifth straight year of grain cargo growth, all thanks to strong global demand and a bumper Canadian crop. Double digit gains by canola (+18.9 percent) and specialty crops (+17.9 percent) offset a 16.9 percent drop in wheat exports.
Containerized exports increased by 3.3 percent due to growth in woodpulp, grain and food and agriproduct shipments. Imports fell 2.4 percent, partly due, the port authority said, to the return of some traffic to U.S. West Coast ports after the ending of their 2015 labor dispute.
The weak Canadian dollar and a slowdown in industry investment and development activity in western Canada was reflected in the 17.2 per cent decline in metal and project cargo imports in 2016. A 22 per cent drop in breakbulk lumber and wood pulp also contributed to a decline in overall import and export breakbulk volumes.
Metallurgical coal volumes increased 1.8 percent in 2016 due to a 64.3 percent increase in exports to India and sustained demand from Japan, China, and South Korea. Coal volumes overall fell 6.1 percent overall because of a 28.8 percent plunge in thermal coal exports.
The Vancouver cruise industry experienced "stable growth" as demand for Alaskan cruises continued to increase. In 2016, the port welcomed 826,820 passengers, up 2.8 percent from 805,400 passengers in 2015.
The port’s Statistics overview – 2014 to 2016 offers more comprehensive data.
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