International Ports

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.

Congestion problems at Prince Rupert continue to plague beneficial cargo owners after six weeks.

French liner giant CMA CGM sits on both sides of the fence at the Kingston Freeport Container Terminal.

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust reported a 6.3 percent year-over-year increase in container volume in the first half of the fiscal year.

Renewed coastal service will feed containers into ships calling at new JNPT terminal.