The Port of Prince Rupert beat expectations and had another banner year in 2011 with record exports of forest, coal and grain products to China, Japan and Korea.

Some highlights of increased port traffic are:

• 19.3 million tonnes of cargo moved through the port altogether, an increase of 18 per cent over 2010.
• Total coal tonnage shipped from Ridley Terminals Inc. (RTI) to Korea, China and Japan was up 16 per cent over 2010. RTI shipped 9.64 million tonnes of product compared to 8.30 million tonnes in 2010.
• The number of loaded containers shipped out through Prince Rupert was up 59 per cent from 2010, with much of the growth attributed to strong exports of B.C. forest products to the expanding Chinese market.
• Grain exports, principally to China, increased 17 per cent, from 4.29 million tonnes in 2010 to five million tonnes in 2011.

The Province is focusing on expanding markets for British Columbia natural resources under 'Canada Starts Here: The BC Jobs Plan'. The Province is:

1. Working with employers and communities to enable job creation throughout B.C. In Prince Rupert, new jobs have been created - including approximately 80 recently posted by the ILWU - news that prompted hundreds of trades people to apply to the union.

2. The Province is strengthening infrastructure to get B.C. goods to market. The Province has committed $15 million for the Prince Rupert Road Rail Utility Corridor Project, which supports terminal developments and increased capacity on Ridley Island.

http://www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/2011/09/port-funding-helps-bc-benefit-from-asia-pacific-trade.html

3. Expanding markets for B.C. products and services. The growth of Asian markets is one reason why traffic through Prince Rupert has reached record levels. B.C. is working with its Asian partners through trade missions and other business development to seek out and respond to growing market demand.

The Government of Canada invested $30 million in the construction of Phase 1 of the new Port of Prince Rupert container terminal and is investing a further $28 million to establish a state-of-the-art container-screening program to help ensure secure and efficient border services for the terminal.

To date, the Government of Canada has invested almost $1.5 billion and announced almost 50 Asia-Pacific Gateway infrastructure projects. The combined investment with the private sector, all four western provincial governments and municipalities totals $3.5 billion.

Quotes:

Federal Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway Ed Fast -

"These investments are positioning Canada as the gateway of choice between Asia and North America. In fact, Canada's west coast ports are more than two days closer to Asian markets than are any other ports in North America. Our broad and ambitious pro-trade plan to help Canadian businesses expand and succeed in the Asia-Pacific region is helping to create jobs and prosperity for Canadian workers, businesses and families."

Prince Rupert Port Authority CEO Don Krusel -

"We are ecstatic about continued growth at the Port of Prince Rupert, and we credit the efficient and committed workforce as a key driver of success. It also stems from the support of citizens, companies, and cities along the entire trade corridor."

"Our dedication to growing safely - and as a conscientious steward of the environment - has earned widespread respect in B.C.'s Northwest. More jobs and economic opportunities will be the inevitable result."

Quick Facts:

• Fairview Container Terminal saw a 20 per cent increase in volumes in 2011 compared to 2010 volumes, driven largely by exports of B.C. pulp, lumber and other wood products to Asian markets.
• Prince Rupert Grain experienced a 17 per cent increase in volumes in 2011 over 2010, with the majority of the growth coming from barley, canola and grain pellets from Canadian growers.
• Ridley Terminals Inc. recorded a 16 per cent increase in volumes in 2011 over 2010, largely due to increased exports of metallurgical coal from western Canada and northeast British Columbia.

Learn More:

http://www.rupertport.com/

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/PacificGateway/index.htm

UPDATE NOTE: As part of its BC Jobs Plan (bcjobsplan.ca) , on April 2, 2012, the Province released The Pacific Gateway Transportation Strategy: 2012-2020 (bcjobsplan.ca) . 

Contacts:

Robert Adam
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
250 356-0825
Robert.adam@gov.bc.ca

Michael Gurney
Manager, Corporate Communications
Prince Rupert Port Authority
250 627-2509
250 600-4447 (cell)
www.rupertport.com

Adam Taylor
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Ed Fast
Minister of International Trade and
Minister responsible for Pacific Gateway
613 992-7332
adam.taylor@international.gc.ca