International Ports

Beneficial cargo owners in eastern Canada and the US Midwest should welcome the expansion as a step toward preventing a return of the congestion that Prince Rupert experienced last winter.

Global Container Terminals Canada said its Vancouver pilot project that will test a flat-fee model during the day and night shifts is designed primarily to reduce gate congestion by reducing truck bunching during shift changes and encouraging more dual transactions.

Shippers and other Vancouver trade stakeholders hope precautionary actions by the transportation ministry and terminal operator Global Container Terminals Canada, to increase driver pay rates and shift from a congestion-based appointment charge to a flat fee effective June 1, prevent driver strikes and congestion that have substantially delayed cargo in the past.

The Canadian East Coast’s very stable market has recently changed significantly: it’s in a state of turmoil with many container port projects being considered — Quebec City (Beauport); Dartmouth, Halifax; Montreal (Contrecoeur); Melford, Nova Scotia; and Sydney, Nova Scotia (Novaporte).

Shippers should keep an eye on the Port of Quebec’s container terminal, but the deciding factor will be whether the economies of scale offered by larger vessel calls at the facility are erased by higher inland transport costs.

Top 25 North American port growth in 2017 does not in and of itself prove that a broad-based, regional economic expansion is underway, but it is a telling statistic.

The port, which is in the competitive gateway in the trans-Pacific trade, has grown rapidly since the opening of its Fairview container terminal in 2007.

Shippers concerned that rising cargo volumes at the Port of Montreal will increase rail dwell times may have their fears allayed by a Canadian Government investment designed to improve rail efficiency and make the port more competitive.

Shippers concerned about cargo delays due to elevated levels of truck congestion at the Port of Montreal can look for relief in the coming months, if the proposal to extend gate hours at the marine terminals goes ahead, beginning with a pilot extended gates plan this summer.

Shippers that export vehicles to the United States from Mexico appear to be increasingly turning to do so by sea, and the new terminal at Lazaro Cardenas gives a new, specialist option to shippers that move vehicles in or out of the country.

The three-month Port of Vancouver meltdown caused by degraded rail service, record cargo volumes, and brutal winter weather appears to be nearing an end, but port users and rail shippers are calling upon the Canadian National Railway and Global Container Terminals Canada to cooperate more closely to prevent future chaos.

The delays at the Port of Prince Rupert, and to a lesser degree, Port Metro Vancover, raise a compelling question: can Canadian marine terminals and railroads handle the growing volumes efficiently, especially during peak periods, with reliabilty?

Container ships are getting too wide and too deep for Australian container ports, officials say. And that leaves the nation with a choice: find ways to accommodate bigger container ships or risk a negative outcome.

Prince Rupert, Vancouver, Canadian National Railway, and Canadian Pacific Railway are expanding their assets and capacity to prepare for the peak season of 2018 after a troublesome peak last year.

The need for better visibility to make smarter decisions, along with better coordinating of train switching and traffic flows on local roads, comes as North American port volume rises.

The Quebec Port Authority cited the port's depth of 15 meters (49 feet) as a major factor in the decision, as that depth is suitable for the largest container ships in service — such as the 20,000 TEU ships.

Beneficial cargo owners this week reported container dwell times as long as 15 days.