Traffic volumes at the Canadian ports of Prince Rupert and Vancouver are skyrocketing, while US ones are plummeting, with the ports of the Northwest Seaport Alliance (Seattle and Tacoma) being hit the most (-18% year-on-year).
The figures for Q1 2026 published by Sea Intelligence speak for themselves. They show that there’s an ongoing structural shift in trade flows along the routes connecting the world with the North-West US coast ports.
According to the market analysis firm, freight rate pressures, congestion issues and frequent strikes at US ports are prompting shippers and carriers to divert their traffic to Canada. The country is becoming the main strategic hub for sending goods on to the US Midwest.
In the first quarter of 2026, Vancouver recorded a substantial 9.0% year-on-year increase in full container import volumes, skyrocketing to over 491,000 TEUs. This result not only reversed the slight decline in volumes recorded the previous year, it also set a new all-time record for the port.
Prince Rupert also saw a 7.8% year-on-year increase, exceeding the volumes recorded in Q1 2024, although it remains some way off the peaks reached in the first quarter of the 2019–2022 period.
On the contrary, all the major US west coast ports recorded a negative year-on-year growth rates.
