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In the year’s first six months, Port Metro Vancouver handled 62.3 million tons of cargo, up 6 percent compared with the same 2011 period.

Total domestic tonnage increased 6 percent to 13.3 million and total foreign tonnage rose by the same percentage to 49 million.

The volume gain reflects the success of the port’s collaborative approach with senior government partners, terminal operators, shippers and land transportation logistics suppliers to boost capacity and efficiency, and improve sustainability, port officials said in a prepared statement.

"What we have seen to the mid-point in 2012 is continued resiliency in the Canadian export market. Although some Asian economies show slower growth overall, through the port we saw continuing strong demand for Canadian natural resources, with all the major economic benefits that provides for the Canadian economy,” said Robin Silvester, the port’s president and chief executive officer, in a prepared statement. “Thanks to capacity building projects now under way, together with improved efficiencies and this ongoing demand, we expect to see continued strength throughout 2012.”

BNSF Railway Co. , CN and Canadian Pacific serve terminals at the Vancouver, British Columbia, port, and local rail service is provided by the Southern Railway of British Columbia.