The Port of Vancouver, British Columbia, likely will approach or exceed 2.4
million TEUs overall for the first time once final container volume numbers
for 2006 are tallied.

It will complete a record-shattering year.

Canada's largest port emerged as the leading Pacific Northwest container
handler from the start of the year, posting double-digit increases over its
2005 totals each month while leading the way over its chief rivals in the
region. The ports of Tacoma and Seattle have struggled to keep pace all year.

Tacoma likely will slightly exceed its record 2005 TEU total, but Seattle
likely will fall to the third position after leading the region in
container traffic last year.

In the January-to-November period, Vancouver moved just over 2 million
TEUs, a surge of 25 percent over the same span in 2005.

he port showed strength in the import and export box categories, posting
double-digit increases in each segment through November. Total full import
containers jumped 31 percent to 1 million TEUs, while full export boxes
were up 14 percent to 692,289 TEUs.

After four consecutive months of declines, Tacoma moved 190,130 TEUs in
November, up 12.5 percent over November 2005. Over the first 11 months of
2006, the port's container volume increased by about 1 percent to 1.9
million TEUs, a pace that will set a new record if it continues in
December. It posted only marginal increases in full import and export
containers through November.

Seattle's total box volume through November declined 4.5 percent to 1.8
million TEUs, about 86,000 TEUs below its record pace of 2005. While the
percentage totals for full import and export boxes declined sharply, by 5.7
percent and 8.3 percent through November, Seattle's raw TEU totals in those
categories exceeded Tacoma's international export and import totals.
Tacoma's overall TEU total was bolstered by its domestic trade to Alaska,
which increased nearly 2 percent to 478,919 TEUs in the January-November
period.

The Port of Portland is closing out a strong comeback year highlighted by
two new trans-Pacific container services by Zim Integrated Shipping
Services and Yang Ming Line.

Total container volume over the first 11 months of the year surged 32.2
percent to 195,663 TEUs. The Columbia River port moved 160,479 boxes for
all of 2005. Containerized exports over that span increased 29.4 percent to
113,971 TEUs, while imports jumped 36.2 percent to 81,692 TEUs.

Vessel calls increased by nearly 15 percent; breakbulk tonnage was up more
than 9 percent.

The port also handled nearly 412,000 auto units, up 28.4 percent, through
November. That total surpassed the record the port set for all of 1986.