Port of Vancouver Reaches Record Cargo Volumes in 2024, as Crude Oil exports Soar

The Port of Vancouver moved a record amount of goods through its gates last year, an increase driven partly by surging oil exports made possible by the Trans Mountain Pipeline.

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority says total freight at the country’s largest port grew five per cent year-over-year to reach 158 million tonnes in 2024.

It says crude oil exports climbed more than 500 per cent thanks to the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion that began operations last May.

Container traffic recovered in 2024, rising 11 per cent from 2023 in a return to pre-pandemic levels following a spike driven by demand for consumer items at the height of COVID-19.

The port authority also says a record of nearly 470,000 vehicle imports rolled onto the docks last year in a three per cent boost spurred by Canadians’ appetite for new cars.

Nonetheless, it says several hurdles hampered port activity last year, including extreme weather such as wildfires that halted freight trains as well as work stoppages at B.C. ports and both major railways.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 10, 2025.