HOPA Ports (Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority) has announced a nine percent increase in cargo tonnage for the year 2023.
During the 2023 navigation season, a total of 11,293,179 metric tonnes (MT) of cargo passed through the ports of Hamilton and Oshawa. This season saw 665 vessels in total, with 603 vessels in Hamilton and 62 in Oshawa, taking advantage of the longest Seaway shipping season on record.
Commodities passing through the Ports of Hamilton and Oshawa represent approximately 30 percent of the total cargo transiting the Canada-US Great Lakes Seaway system. HOPA’s cargo totals experienced a nine percent increase in 2023, compared to a 3.38 percent increase in the Seaway system cargo as a whole.
Ian Hamilton, president and CEO of HOPA Ports, commented, “Commodities fluctuate year-to-year due to market and other external factors, often beyond our control. That’s why we are focused on future trends. Our investments in trade-enabling infrastructure, along with those of our tenants and partners, are the drivers of longer-term performance.”
Over the past 15 years, HOPA and its partners have invested close to $1 billion in transportation infrastructure and terminals, facilitating the steady growth of key commodities. This trend continues with recent announcements, including a $135 million sugar refinery, a new rail container facility, a new flour mill, and HOPA capital works exceeding $40 million for 2024.
Agri-food
In 2023, agri-food commodities through the Ports of Hamilton and Oshawa reached a combined total of 3.5 million MT, marking a five percent increase over the previous year. Agri-food represented 31 percent of total HOPA cargo in 2023, compared to 18 percent in 2013 and 10 percent in 2009.
This growth has been driven by investments in agricultural-related terminal infrastructure, attracting $500 million in new investments by agri-food companies over the past 15 years.
HOPA’s plans for 2024 include the construction of a new flour mill by Parrish & Heimbecker and a new sugar refinery by SucroCan, further enhancing agri-food investments.
Steel and Construction
Steel and steel-making commodities exceeded 6.2 million MT in 2023, representing a 13 percent increase compared to the previous year.
Construction of a $10 million, 60,000 sq ft rail transload facility for steel products proceeded in 2023. This facility, supported in part by the National Trade Corridors Fund, will add over 100,000 MT of new steel handling capacity at the Port of Hamilton.
Cement, asphalt, and aggregates led the cargo mix at the Port of Oshawa in 2023, supporting infrastructure, housing, and manufacturing.
HOPA continues to advance its Niagara Ports strategy, with new parcels of land transferred to HOPA management in 2023. The Thorold Multimodal Hub welcomed its 20th tenant, and the Hub received a Canadian Urban Institute ‘Brownie’ Brownfield Redevelopment Award for its innovative approach to repurposing industrial sites for modern uses.
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