Port of Vancouver, Canada Sets Record with 88.1 Million Tonnes of Cargo in First Half of the Year

en.Wedoany.com Reported - In the first half of 2026, the Port of Vancouver, Canada handled 88.1 million tonnes of cargo, up 3% year on year, setting a record high for the same period. Among this, crude oil exports reached 12 million tonnes, up 3% year on year; about 80% of the crude oil was shipped to the Indo-Pacific market, with major destinations including China and South Korea, while the share of the U.S. market dropped from about one-third to about one-fifth. Indonesia received crude oil exported via the expanded Trans Mountain pipeline and terminal for the first time in April this year.

During the same period, bulk grain exports at the Port of Vancouver reached 17.4 million tonnes, up 14% year on year, also setting a half-year record, with growth mainly from canola, specialty crops and barley. Containerized grain reached 2 million tonnes, up more than 20% year on year; wheat exports fell 4%, and canola oil exports fell 19%. Dry bulk cargo throughput at the port reached 50.1 million tonnes, up 2% year on year, while liquid bulk reached 17.2 million tonnes, up 5% year on year; fertilizer volume remained at 7 million tonnes, and coal volume fell 3% to 20.1 million tonnes.

In terms of containers, the port completed 1.9 million TEU in the first half of the year, up 1% year on year. Among this, loaded export containers totaled 421,330 TEU, up 4% year on year, imports totaled 979,291 TEU, up 2% year on year, and empty container traffic fell 1% to 500,970 TEU. During the same period, container throughput was still 2% lower than the half-year record of 1.94 million TEU set in 2021. Vehicle imports rose 10% to 264,284 units, setting a record high for the first half of the year; international cargo throughput reached 76.6 million tonnes, up 4% year on year, while domestic Canadian cargo traffic fell 3% to 11.4 million tonnes.

The Port of Vancouver is advancing the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 container terminal project. The preferred contracting team for the landside and marine works, TerraMarine, was confirmed in July this year, with the scope of work including new marine landside areas, terminal structures and berth waters, widening of the causeway, expansion of the tug basin and some environmental works. TerraMarine is composed of FlatironDragados Canada, Van Oord Canada, Aecon Constructors and Carlson Construction Group.

The project is scheduled to reach financial close by the end of 2027 and begin construction mobilization and early works, with landside reclamation construction starting in 2028, and terminal operations planned for the mid-2030s. The Canadian government has included the project in the Port of Vancouver gateway strategy and launched the process in August to include it in the national interest project list under the Building Canada Act, with the related public comment period open until October 1, 2026.