The Pacific Northwest ports located in Canada and the U.S. may be losing money now as a result of the global COVID-19 effects. However, this hasn’t stopped stakeholders from focusing on terminal expansion projects as preparation for a post-coronavirus future. For this reason, many big players are putting their money on what they believe would be a healthy turnaround as they close off the Q4 of this year. Why? It is because the Pacific Northwest has many ports for personal vessels - even superyachts can find a place to berth at Emerald Landing. Curious to see which of them belong at the top? Let’s dive in.
Port of Vancouver
The Port of Vancouver is Canada’s largest port, which connects Canadian consumers and businesses from markets all over the world with the diversity of products that people use every day. The seaport generates tax revenues and employs local groups.
Extending from Fraser River and the Roberts Bank up to Burrard Inlet, the Port of Vancouver has more than 16,000 hectares of water, hundreds of kilometers of shoreline that borders 16 municipalities.
One of the main reasons why the Port of Vancouver is among the most important in the region is the substantial amounts of revenue it rakes in. The Canadian Port Authority operates from the revenue they collect from terminal and tenant leases, harbor dues, and fees charged to shipping companies.
The port leases federal lands that make Port of Vancouver an independent terminal operator that conducts trade, which would benefit all Canadians. It also helps provide road, marine, and other infrastructure projects to support the port’s development, all while serving as the gateway to over a hundred trading economies worldwide, handling considerable amounts of tradable goods.
International Port of Dutch Harbor
The International Port of Dutch Harbor nestled in the beautiful Island of Unalaska is among the most important commercial fishing ports in the nation. The port handles container freights and can handle as much as 1,850,870 tonnes of freight. The port is under the Department of Port and Harbors’ management, which operates other city marine facilities. The Port of Dutch Harbor is mainly famous for promoting the Unalaska community’s growth and health by advocating and managing all marine-related facilities and activities. This allows the community to proceed on a self-supporting basis by providing moorage and other marine services.
Juneau Port
Another well-established port in the heart of Alaska is Juneau cruise port, nestled along the historic downtown area. This port is a usual moorage of cruise ships since it is only walking from a slew of seafood restaurants and other shops.
Most cruise ships headed to the Juneau port would dock at one of the port’s three cruise terminals, with each having four docking berths. In instances when these berths are full, the passengers are brought to the shore via tender boats.
Northwest Seaport Alliance
The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) is the fourth biggest container gateway in this region. In fact, its marine cargo operations were borne out of the Seattle and Tacoma ports’ partnership. It serves as a significant hub catering to breakbulk, bulk, heavy-lift cargoes, trucks, and automobiles.
Port Nikiski
Sitting on the Alaskan Kenai Peninsula, about 11 nautical miles from the Port of Kenai, is Port Nikiski. The port is an incorporated town, which is home to almost 5,000 people. Many of the oil refineries located in this port are made into gasoline as it also supports offshore drilling, making it one of the most important ports in this region.
While these ports were tremendously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, their rebound will be a given since many of the industries we have today rely on port operations.
