Japan continues to be the largest destination for British Columbia exports to Asia, but China is responsible for the recent growth of exports to that Continent. According to the data, exports to China grew 325% between 1999 and 2009. That compares with shrinking exports to Hong Kong (-20%), and Japan (-22.5%) during the same period.
Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Shirley Bond and executives from Port Metro Vancouver, Port of Prince Rupert, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway and Vancouver International Airport went on a trade mission to Asia in November.
Some results of the mission, according to Bond, were increasing demand for BC coal and wood pellets, as well as: POSCO, the world’s fourth largest steel producer plans to increase coal exports from BC by 15% annually; Tokyo Electric Power Co is interested in BC’s thermal coal and in exploring wood pellets as an alternative for electricity production in the city; and copper concentrate from the Copper Mountain mine near Princeton will ship to Mitsubishi Materials Corp of Japan through the Port of Vancouver.