What the port reported
Vancouver Fraser Port Authority reported total 2025 cargo throughput of 170.4 million tonnes — a record, up from 158.4 million tonnes in 2024. Container terminals handled 3.8 million TEUs, a 9% year-over-year increase.
The Port credited record exports of grain, potash, and crude as the primary drivers, alongside continued container and auto trade growth.
Why this reorganizes the industrial map
- Tilbury and the wider Delta industrial node remain the closest functional answer to port-adjacent distribution.
- Richmond's airport-adjacent industrial picks up overflow on time-sensitive air cargo and cold chain.
- Surrey/Langley absorbs the inland leg — secondary distribution centres for retailers serving the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.
What to expect through 2026
If port volumes hold, the South Fraser corridor will continue to absorb large-format distribution faster than other submarkets. Spec construction in this corridor is already among the tightest in Metro Vancouver.
Cold-chain users should expect Richmond to stay tight — port-linked food import volumes are growing alongside grocery e-commerce demand.
"Port-adjacent industrial is not a submarket. It is a logistics function the rest of the market routes around."
This note is an editorial read of the source above. Quoted figures and conclusions belong to the original publisher; the framing and submarket interpretation are ours.