Jul 25, 2008

Port business up slightly

Sand, aggregate imports are on the rise

By Shaun Bishop / Daily News Staff Writer

Business at the Port of Redwood City rebounded last fiscal year from two years of decreasing activity thanks in large part to a new source of materials in British Columbia, officials said this week.

The port, which generally deals in construction materials, handled a total of 1.49 million metric tons for the fiscal year that ended June 30, up about 4 percent from the previous year.

Significant gains in sand and construction aggregates helped boost the imports, even as imported cement decreased by 205,885 metric tons from the previous year.

Aggregates, generally crushed stone and gravel, were up 423 percent to 272,112 metric tons while sand imports jumped 177 percent to 318,532 metric tons. Together, those materials made up 39 percent of the total tonnage.

"We're always trying to stay busy, and the cargo mix might change a little bit from year to year," Port Director Mike Giari said.

Much of the sand and aggregate material came from a new quarry that opened on North Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Giari said.

While bauxite also increased 18 percent to 81,888 metric tons, gypsum imports were down 23.8 percent to 211,118 metric tons.



E-mail Shaun Bishop at sbishop@dailynewsgroup.com.