A strike notice has been issued to the port authority by the United Truckers Association, who have voted for a 48 hour strike commencing Wednesday 26th February.  While not all drivers are members of the association, the result is likely to be a complete disruption in trucking and drayage operations, with the possibility of further action, after the initial two-days, further affecting loading operations.

Port Metro Vancouver is comprised of nearly 30 deep sea and domestic marine terminals and latest figures for 2013 report that it handled 135 million tonnes of cargo, a record for the port, and which represented 19 per cent of Canada’s overall trade. The growth reflected the strength of the Canadian economy, international trade development and domestic infrastructure developments.

It is feared that the strike, which follows a one day protest in October 2013, will impact the port’s reputation as a reliable and competitive gateway. Operators in the port are also mindful of industrial action by truckers in 2005 which caused a six week shut down and estimated losses of CAN $800 million.

Ship owners and operators planning port calls in the next fortnight are advised to contact ISS Vancouver Port Manager, Jon Ciobanu:

During her visit, the Lord Mayor, climbed one of the world’s largest quay cranes to have an elevated view of the massive three square mile site, where work is underway for a Common User Facility and other proposed distribution centres.

The Right Honourable Fiona Woolf, said: “The Port of London has a vital role in this country’s great trading history. As the Admiral of the Port of London, I am proud to say that the opening of DP World London Gateway has secured London as an international shipping and trading hub for the 21st century.  

“This is a fantastic inward investment that will reduce cost for UK businesses and bring many new jobs and benefits to supply chains by bringing goods closer to consumers.”

DP World Group CEO, Mohammed Sharaf, said: “We were delighted to have the Lord Mayor of the City of London visit us at DP World London Gateway to see first-hand our investment and the benefits of having a major port and logistics park on London’s door step.”

London Gateway CEO, Simon Moore said: “By bringing the port and distribution back to London and closer to consumers we are enabling supply chain savings and the eight million people in London will benefit.”

Located in the heart of the UK’s largest consumer market, DP World London Gateway reduces time, CO2 and fuel costs associated with moving goods from distant distribution centres.

Several shipping lines have taken advantage of DP World London Gateway during recent bad weather, with the port being less impacted by weather due to its sheltered location.  It has taken eight unscheduled calls since Christmas, while other UK ports were face with delays and closures during high winds. 

DP World London Gateway has a weekly call by the Southern Africa Europe Container service operated by MOL, Maersk, Safmarine and DAL.

Starting in May, Hamburg-Sud and Hapag-Lloyd will operate the South America East Coast service, a South America West Coast, Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand service and a North America West Coast, India, Pakistan and Middle East services from the port.

On Feb. 20, the G6 Alliance, a vessel-sharing consortium composed of six ocean carriers, announced changes to its transatlantic services that connect the Europe, the Mediterranean and Asia trade lanes with the US East Coast. In its announcement, the G6 partners said four-out-of-the-five realigned services will call The Port of Virginia.

Two of those services will be last-out vessel calls, meaning Virginia will be their last US East Coast stop before heading to their foreign destinations; last-out calls can be crucial in developing export business.

“These last-out calls will be of interest to export customers in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest because The Port of Virginia will be able offer some of the best transit times to Europe, the Mediterranean and Asia,” said John F. Reinhart, The Port of Virginia’s CEO and executive director, said. “For those customers with just-in-time inventory models, transit times are crucial. It is our opinion that these last-out vessel calls will create opportunities for customers that have not been able to use Virginia in the past simply because of their business models.”

Record throughput of container TEUs (2 million) and an unprecedented 36 million tons of cargo handled were primary contributors to the remarkable year. The Port Authority’s 6-percent increase in movement of loaded containers outpaced all other U.S. ports in that category. Improved grain and coal exports over the prior year enabled the Port Authority to post a 13-percent increase in bulk cargo (11 million tons). The Port Authority recorded $231 million in operating revenue in 2013, the highest ever. That figure is $8 million (4 percent) higher than the record attained in 2012, and it marks the fourth consecutive year that year-over-year increases have been recorded.

“This is a benchmark we can all take pride in,” said Port Authority Executive Director Roger Guenther. “It reflects positively on the efforts of Port Authority staff under the guidance of the Port Commission to increase the commerce moving through Port facilities, bringing more jobs and economic opportunity to the region. It is important we continue making capital investments in our facilities to help meet the growing needs of global commerce.”