Article content

Has “a combination of Chinese demand and increased pipeline space led to a massive increase in the export of crude oil out of the Port of Vancouver last year” as reported in The Vancouver Sun on March 24?

No, the statement is false. So are other statements, calculations and conclusions in the article.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Robyn Allan: What massive increase in crude oil exports to China from B.C.? Back to video

Let’s look at the facts.

Kevin Birn, vice-president of IHS Markit, is reported as saying, “Last year, you had a doubling of water-borne export to Asia,” but Port Metro Vancouver statistics tell us there were no tankers laden with crude destined for Asia in 2017. A doubling of zero is zero. While there were 18 tankers loaded with crude two years ago, all went to U.S. ports.

Trans Mountain has confirmed that there were 43 tankers loaded with crude in 2018. Analysis by David Huntley, expert witness at the National Energy Board Reconsideration Review, shows that of those 43 tankers, 14 went to Asia — 12 to China and two to South Korea. The remaining 29 went to U.S. ports.