Port of Halifax Team Targets Asian Cargo Growth
May 3, 2005
A delegation from the Port of Halifax, including the Halifax Port Authority and container terminal operators, Cerescorp Inc., and Halterm Ltd. will visit Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China in mid-May to promote Halifax's deepwater port and cargo services.
The 10-day mission is part of the Port of Halifax's collaborative approach to identify and pursue cargo growth opportunities.
Asian traffic at the Port of Halifax has increased almost 20% over the past five years, primarily through exports. As larger container ships become more prominent and demand surges in Asia, shipping lines will be looking closely at all water routes via the Suez Canal to transport Asian import cargo to the East Coast of North American and inland market destinations, creating further opportunities for the Port of Halifax.
The Halifax team will be holding meetings with global shipping lines located in Asia, many of which are expanding services as new container ships come into service on various trades.
The Halifax delegation will be joined for parts of the trip by Canadian National Railway representatives who work in CN Trade Offices in Asia.
"The Port of Halifax is a strategic transportation asset to the Atlantic Region and growing containerized cargo volumes means more jobs and economic benefits for our region," says Karen Oldfield, President and CEO, Halifax Port Authority. "Cargo is the lifeblood of the Port of Halifax. Our growth strategy focuses on building that core business through a joint business development approach with our partners."
Currently the Port of Halifax creates 9,000 direct and indirect jobs and generates an annual income of $670 million. Last year was the second best ever for containerized cargo volumes with over 525,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) moving through the Port.
"Halifax has the berth, terminal and rail capacity to handle much more cargo, unlike many congested ports on the West Coast," says Doug Rose, President, Halterm Limited. "Asian trade is exploding and Halifax is in an ideal position to tap into the huge potential of this market."
"Halifax can compete with the best. Our port has the facilities and infrastructure to handle the world's largest container ships," says Ron McBrearty, President, Cerescorp Company. "We are aggressively pursuing more cargo for Halifax and this joint approach to selling Halifax is the smart approach to take."
The Halifax Port Authority routinely visits cargo customers internationally. The Port has long-standing relationships with many international shipping lines and currently 18 container lines call Halifax.
The May 16-25 trip will be the first time the Authority has been accompanied by representatives from both terminal operators, Ceres and Halterm. The team will visit both current and potential customers in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China during the trip and will attend the 24th annual International Association of Ports and Harbours Conference in Shanghai, China.
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For more information please contact:
Michele PeverilManager, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs
Halifax Port Authority
Telephone: 902.426.1060
Cell: 902.229.3236
E-mail: mpeveril@portofhalifax.ca
About Halifax Port Authority
The Halifax Port Authority is a government business enterprise mandated by the Federal Ministry of Transport. The HPA leads in the development of the Port of Halifax, serving as a catalyst for the local, regional and national economies and has a mandate to be financially viable. The Port of Halifax has a total annual income impact of almost $700 million and an employment impact of over 9000 direct and indirect jobs.
