Red Sea attacks could push more cargo to Port of Vancouver after record year: CEO [Video]

After a year of record-high volumes, the Port of Vancouver could see even more traffic in the aftermath of attacks on cargo vessels in the Red Sea, says the port’s CEO.

“We know that the Red Sea impacts have caused significant rerouting of cargo for vessel operators to all markets,” Peter Xotta, head of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, said in an interview Friday.

“I expect that that could result in an increase in the short term for cargo into the Port of Vancouver,” he said. “We have seen a bump in volume in the early part of 2024 – some of that could be partly related to those events.”

Whether the trend continues depends on events closer to the Suez Canal, which container ships have largely avoided for months due to the ongoing conflict in the region.

Since December, maritime attacks by Iran-backed Houthi militants have pushed shippers to steer clear of the Red Sea and reroute around Africa, adding …