Attacks on cargo vessels in the Red Sea could drive more shippers toward the Port of Vancouver after a year of record-high volumes, its CEO said.
Since December, maritime attacks by Iran-backed Houthi militants have pushed shippers to steer clear of the Red Sea and reroute around Africa, adding weeks to the journey. Last year, an unprecedented 150.4 million tonnes of bulk, breakbulk and container goods traversed the docks at Canada’s largest port, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority said.
“It was a mixed year at the Port of Vancouver, with growth in some sectors and softening in others,” the federal agency said in a release. A big drop in household goods — the category accounts for nearly a third of inbound container items, from towels to televisions — drove a 12 per cent decrease in container shipments overall at the port.