Last year was a banner year for the Hamilton Port Authority (HPA).
In 2018, the HPA says it recorded the highest volume of cargo in more than a decade.
More than 11.6-million metric tonnes of cargo was imported or exported through the Port of Hamilton during the 2018 shipping season, an 18 per cent increase over 2017.
“Many Hamiltonians remarked that the harbour looked especially busy with ships this year,” said Hamilton Port Authority president & CEO Ian Hamilton. “And they were right. We welcomed 647 vessels to port this season, 43 more than in 2017.”
“This season really shows how Canada can diversify and develop new markets if it has the right infrastructure in place,” said Hamilton. “In 2018, exports through the Port of Hamilton were up by 63.6 per cent over 2017.”
Hamilton credits increased exports of Ontario-grown grain, helped along by new terminal capacity at the port, a solid crop year, and expanded European market access as a result of the CETA agreement.
In November, Transport Minister Marc Garneau was in Hamilton to announce a $17.7-million investment in the Port of Hamilton through the National Trade Corridor Fund.
The HPA will match the funds to provide for new and upgraded transportation infrastructure, and reconfigure port lands to create new development-ready employment lands.
“In the past decade, we’ve attracted more than $300 million in private-sector investment to Hamilton, and we have grown our on-port employment to more than 2,100 jobs,” notes Hamilton. “We’re focused on using this latest investment to continue our positive impact on the regional economy.”
The Port of Hamilton is the seventh largest port in Canada by volume, and the largest in Ontario.
Annual totals (metric tonnes) of cargo volume in the Port of Hamilton
2009 – 8,358,123
2010 – 11,472,831
2011 – 10,040,213
2012 – 10,303,190
2013 – 10,024,418
2014 – 10,526,732
2015 – 9,238,203
2016 – 9,277,282
2017 – 9,870,212
2018 – 11,628,319
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