With just three months to go until the calendar turns over to 2013, the Prince Rupert Port Authority is on track for another record breaking year.
Traffic through Fairview Terminal was up 17 per cent this September compared to last September, sitting at 52,994 TEUs compared to 45,424, while so far this year there have been 47 per cent more TEUs moving through Prince Rupert, jumping from 287,059 TEUs to 421,641 TEUs.That number is just shy of the 500,000 TEU initial capacity the terminal was designed for.
Imports were up 20 per cent this September, sitting at 29,877 TEUs, and so far this year imports are up 45 per cent, jumping from 164,539 to 238,434.
Exports are up 13 per cent this September compared to last, but the number of loaded TEUs moving through Prince Rupert is actually down 14 per cent while the number of empty TEUs is up 45 per cent. For the year-to-date, exports are up 50 per cent, sitting at 183,207, with the number of loaded containers being shipped out up 28 per cent and the number of empty containers leaving Prince Rupert up 80 per cent.
After a record 2011, Ridley Terminals is also on track for a record breaking year. In September the tonnage handled by the terminal was up 56 per cent, sitting at 848,150 tonnes compared to 543,376 tonnes in 2011, while so far this year the terminal is up 20 per cent, with 8.48 million tonnes being moved in 2012 compared to 7.1 million tonnes in 2011.
Although down six per cent year-over-year, Prince rupert Grain almost doubled their tonnage handled this September compared to last. Last month the terminal handled 288,158 tonnes compared to 147,695 tonnes in September 2011, a difference of 95 per cent.
Overall number for the Prince Rupert Port Authority were up 41 per cent in September compared to last year, while so far in 2012 the port has handled 16.1 million tonnes compared to 13.7 million tonnes last year, an increase of 17 per cent.
Another interesting note from the numbers has to do with passengers arriving aboard BC Ferries. There were 28 per cent fewer passengers arriving in Prince Rupert in September compared to September, 2011, while overall numbers this year are down nine per cent.