The Saint John Port Authority says traffic through the port is down only four percent to the end of November compared to last year - but - port president Jim Quinn tells CHSJ News there is a silver lining.
Quinn says the number of container ships calling on the port is up 39-percent so far this year and so is the number of containers moving through the port.
A CHSJ News story earlier today referred to a recent report released by the Atlantic Pilotage Authority suggesting port traffic was down 10-percent to the end of September led by a significant decline in the number of oil tankers calling .
Quinn says those numbers could be skewed because some of the tanker captains making regular calls to the port are licensed pilots and don't have to call on the pilotage authority.
Quinn says even though crude oil is now coming in by rail from the west contributing to a slight decline in tanker traffic - the refined products are still being going out by ship through the Courtney Bay terminals.
