British Columbia coal exports could double with port infrastructure improvements, Bond says

British Columbia Transportation Minister Shirley Bond is telling Asian mining sector investors that this province has the capacity to double its annual exports of steelmaking coal.

Infrastructure expansion at ports in Vancouver and Prince Rupert, good coal quality and the provincial tax system all work in B.C.’s favor, according to a transportation ministry news release on Bond’s trade mission to Asia.

Bond and members of the Pacific Gateway alliance met five companies in Japan and Korea that invest in coal mines with a message that “we can actually see a point when coal exports from B.C. could double and that would mean tremendous rewards for our provincial economy.”

B.C. will ship about 35 million tonnes of metallurgical coal this year.

B.C., the federal government and port stakeholders are investing over $750 million in infrastructure “that will improve rail efficiency and add capacity for coal and other export bulk commodities” according to the release.

  1. Kent

    Lee, the answer to your question lies in the economics driven by population . It is way easier and cheaper for China to buy iron ore, coal and other raw materials than it is to buy finished steel and cars. China has a population of almost 1.5 Billion – almost 43 times ours and their labour costs are a fraction of ours. You do the math.

  2. Lee

    why can’t we attract companies to build steel mills HERE, build cars HERE, etc?