oronto – It was a record year for the Port of Toronto which moved 2.3 million metric tonnes of cargo in 2019, marking the highest recorded cargo levels in 15 years. In addition, the Port saw a record year in cruise ship activity as the number of cruise ships visiting Toronto more than doubled in 2019. This record year in both marine imports and cruise ship activity highlights the important role the Port plays in Toronto’s economic infrastructure.
The number of ships visiting the Port of Toronto increased by nearly 20 per cent, with 213 ships visiting the Port of Toronto in 2019 versus 179 ships in 2018. Overall, the Port moved 2,297,029 metric tonnes of cargo, bringing road salt, sugar, cement, aggregate and steel directly into the city’s core. With the Greater Toronto Area’s construction industry showing no signs of slowing down, cement cargo imports increased by close to ten per cent with more than 656,000 metric tonnes delivered through the Port of Toronto last year.The Port also recorded the highest salt cargo levels in nearly 15 years with more than 876,000 metric tonnes imported, while sugar cargo imports from Central and South America remained consistent with 2018 levels at approximately 572,000 metric tonnes. In addition, the Port saw steel products such as rebar, steel coils, steel plate, beam and mesh totalling more than 44,000 metric tonnes and recorded approximately 14,000 metric tonnes in warehousing storage.
In 2019, the Port of Toronto welcomed approximately 12,000 visitors to the city via 36 cruise ships, highlighting the importance of the ever-growing Great Lakes cruise ship business and the role it plays in contributing to the city’s record-breaking tourism industry.