(Vancouver) The Vancouver-Fraser Port Authority said Monday that container shipments are down as consumer demand weakens amid a tougher economy.

The volume of container shipments at the Port of Vancouver in the first half of the year fell 14% compared to the same six-month period in 2022, the administration said.

Acting CEO Victor Pang stressed that these figures reflected a less active economy – which even contracted slightly in the second quarter.

Shipments of construction materials and auto parts also declined, while shipments of finished vehicles increased as supply chain issues eased.

Grain exports were the biggest positive, showing an increase of more than 100%. This increase was notably attributable to record volumes shipped to Africa in a context of increased demand caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Still, Pang admits that the two-week strike in British Columbia in July took a toll on business. Month-over-month container shipments fell by a third and pushed many shippers to other ports.