For Immediate Release


VANCOUVER - Vancouver Port Authority President and Chief Executive Officer, Captain Gordon Houston, is calling on both sides of a trucking dispute to move quickly to resolve the issue with a facilitator. The Vancouver Container Truckers Association (VCTA) has withdrawn services, immobilizing between 30 and 40 per cent of the containerized cargo that normally moves through the port.

The port is calling for the immediate appointment of a facilitator to resolve this dispute, either by mutual consent of the parties involved, or directly by government, Houston said. The container sector is responsible for about $2.8 billion in total annual economic activity for our region and country. The estimated loss in economic output in just one week is estimated at approximately $30 million.

The majority of containers moved by truck are those destined to or from British Columbia, so the impact on the provincial and regional economy is expected to be the most significant. While only 31 per cent of import containers are moved by truck, 63 per cent of those for export are moved by road. The first to feel the impact will likely be local exporters of food and forest products, who rely on the container trucks to get their goods to the port. Other containerized exports that will be affected include specialty grains, such as peas, lentils and beans, and fresh and frozen pork. On the import side, industrial products, such as machine and auto parts, and consumer products including furniture, clothing and electronics that are destined for the British Columbia market will be impacted.

Labour disruptions that affect the movement of cargo risk damaging the ports reputation in the international marketplace, leading shippers to divert cargo through competing ports in the United States. Once the business is lost, it can be very difficult to win back. For the thousands of British Columbia families who depend on the port, the impact could be significant, said Houston.

According to Houston, the timely resolution to this dispute is critical: Every day that goes by without a solution will hurt local business, the economy and cost government millions in lost tax revenue.

The Port of Vancouver is Canadas largest and most diversified port, trading more than $43 billion in goods with more than 90 trading economies annually. Port activities generate 69,200 jobs in total with $4 billion in Gross Domestic Product and $8.9 billion in economic output.

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For more information, please contact:

Anne McMullin,
Director, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs
Vancouver Port Authority
(604) 665-9069 (office)
(604) 665-9073 (fax)
(604) 218-1403 (cellular)
anne.mcmullin@portvancouver.com

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