March 17 - Port of Vancouver USA ceo Todd Coleman says that 2014 was a "banner year" for the port, with the gateway experiencing its best year for revenue and tonnage in its 103-year history.
The Port of Vancouver USA handled 6.6 million tonnes of cargo in 2014, a 47 percent increase compared with 2013, and posted an operating revenue of USD37.5 million, a 25 percent year-on-year rise.
Overall imports were up by a massive 118 percent in 2014, compared with the previous year, an increase the port says was fueled by a huge rise in steel and wind energy components, which required the gateway's equipment and laydown space.
Steel slabs (a new commodity for the port) took total steel import tonnage in 2014 to 590,170 tonnes, which is a huge 495 percent year-on-year increase. Wind energy components, such as towers and blades, arriving at the port also grew by an impressive 234 percent.
The port is optimistic about 2015 too, noting that this year looks just as bright at 2014. The US gateway said that it expects continued business growth as customers and tenants capitalise on the strategic investments the port has made in infrastructure.