In Our View: Port of Vancouver helps keep economy afloat

Regardless of financial difficulties created by the coronavirus pandemic and regardless of world provide chain points, the Port of Vancouver USA is on strong floor, so to talk.

The port reported income of $50 million in 2020 — the best in its 108-year historical past and a rise of 15 p.c over the earlier yr. Final yr, its web income was $48 million, with 7.1 million metric tons of cargo and 62,500 rail vehicles passing by.

These numbers exhibit that our native port has accomplished an efficient job of carving out a distinct segment for itself. Not like bigger ports alongside the West Coast — Seattle, Tacoma and Portland, for instance — Vancouver’s port is just not a conduit for normal delivery containers. It’s a bulk port that makes a speciality of merchandise that don’t match into such containers, the type which might be rapidly moved between trains and ships.

That makes Vancouver the perfect touchdown spot for wind turbine blades, the type that steadily can been seen on vehicles touring Freeway 14 whereas making their option to wind farms in Jap Washington or Jap Oregon or past.

As one Port of Vancouver official mentioned this yr: “Having a extremely numerous cargo combine actually, fairly frankly, saved our rear ends.”

Whereas the Ocean Delivery Reform Act, not too long ago signed by President Joe Biden, won’t have a direct impression on the Port of Vancouver, it is going to have an effect that’s felt all through Washington.

Hailed as the primary important maritime laws in 20 years, the invoice offers the Federal Maritime Fee elevated oversight of late charges and storage charges charged by ocean carriers and terminals, that are paid by importers and exporters. These fees sometimes are handed alongside to shoppers, contributing to inflation.

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. and co-chair of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, mentioned: “Proper now, the provision chain isn’t working. Our ports have been clogged, delivery corporations have struggled to maintain up with demand, and the prices of American exporters — who’re attempting to get hay, milk and apples to the worldwide market — have gone by the roof.”

Because the outbreak of the pandemic, which led to individuals purchasing from dwelling and a rise within the demand for imports — notably items from Asia — U.S. ports have skilled a backlog. Ships have been languishing at sea ready to dump their items, and lots of have been returning to Asia empty relatively than ready to be refilled. A CNBC investigation discovered that the ships declining probably the most U.S. exports are owned by the Chinese language authorities.

All of that has been a key think about provide chain points which were within the information for greater than a yr, and it has been a key think about fast inflation. Demand for merchandise has grown extra rapidly than provide, inflicting costs to rise.

That impacts Washington greater than maybe some other state. Considered probably the most trade-dependent state within the nation, we’re uniquely affected by commerce insurance policies and practices.

As Port of Vancouver officers clarify, the brand new laws won’t have an effect on our native port, primarily as a result of it’s not a container-shipping port.

“We really feel our present practices will meet or exceed the brand new rules developed by the Federal Marine Fee, and we are going to adapt to any unexpected rules appropriately,” Director of Communication Therese Lang instructed The Columbian.

All of which leaves the port to do what it does finest — contribute mightily to the native financial system.