Long-term Container Traffic Forecasts for Vancouver Fraser Port Authority

As British Columbia's largest port, the Vancouver Port acts as a gateway for exporting and importing goods and plays an integral role in supporting the local and national economy. The port’s container terminals act as key facilitators in meeting international buyers’ demand for Canadian exports, such as forest products. For this reason, it’s imperative that the ports remain cleared of congestion and operate with sufficient capacity—the cost of failing to do will manifest in negative impacts to consumers in Canada and the U.S.

Since being retained to provide ongoing container port market and shipping industry support to Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA), WSP has applied detailed knowledge of the local, regional and national hinterlands served and up-to-date understanding of container shipping, port, intermodal trends to identify the different import and export cargo markets that Vancouver is competing to serve. We have provided advice and recommendations to help VFPA meet future container growth demand through its marine terminals and continue to provide long-term container forecasts and relevant market information that enable VFPA to make informed decisions and plans.

WSP’s maritime advisory team comprises experts with industry experience and the ability to marry industry-specific knowledge with economic cargo forecasting and link economic and trade developments with how the container industry and its supply chain partners continue to serve the market and consumer demand. We continue to provide support critical to VFPA plans for future investment strategies related to port infrastructure, water depths, marketing and business development.

To ensure the port authority and its container terminals are future-ready and able to handle throughput demand long-term (through to 2060), we continue to provide updated and revised container cargo forecasts on an annual basis while reflecting container port and shipping trends, innovations. In addition, we are assessing the potential impact of the introduction of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2020 directive, the role played by Canadian intermodal rail service providers, and investment strategies adopted from competing ports, while also monitoring changes in manufacturing from Asia, such as the shift of production from China to Southeast Asian locations.

Positioning VFPA for Future Growth

As ports and associated businesses are major employers in Vancouver and throughout Western and Central Canada, WSP understands the importance of ensuring terminals possess sufficient capacity to allow future growth and long-term success. For this reason, WSP will continue to deliver robust deliverables that will help support the continuous development of the port and supply chain activities that rely on it.

“Vancouver’s container throughput continues to grow. Even in the first few months of 2021, there have been substantial increases of over 25%,” explains Dean Davison, Project Manager, WSP. “This brings extra pressure on the terminal infrastructure and supporting supply-chain network, so we continue to ensure that the support we offer VFPA enables the port authority to make the best decisions possible to suit its future growth ambitions, local communities and the wider Canadian economy. The relationship with VFPA is a very long-term one, and we look forward to working with the port authority and its customers as it expands in the future.”