SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

CANADA TRADE AND LOGISTICS

By Gary Wollenhaupt

As an integral part of the Canadian economy , trade and transportation represents two-thirds of the nation ’ s GDP — exports alone support approximately 1 in 6 Canadian jobs , according to Canada ’ s 2024 State of Trade report . Goods and services exports reached $ 965.1 billion in 2023 , an increase of 1.4 % over the previous year , and imports reached $ 978.2 billion , an increase of 3.1 % over the previous year .

If enacted , the Trump administration ’ s plans to impose a sweeping 25 % tariff on all goods from Canada and Mexico would cause severe supply chain disruption , raise operational costs and reduce overall efficiency . Collectively , Canadian ports power over $ 400 billion in international trade through 560 commercial port facilities across the country . More specifically , the Port of Vancouver supports trade with up to 170 nations ,

Shri Madiwal

VP , Operations and Supply Chain , Vancouver Fraser Port Authority

with top trading partners being China , Japan , South Korea and the United States .

Canada has 17 independent port authorities operating in six provinces , from the Atlantic hub in Halifax to Vancouver ’ s Pacific gateway . Transport Canada , a department within the Canadian government responsible for developing transportation policies and programs , operates an additional 34 port facilities .

When discussing the Vancouver ’ s position as North America ’ s most diverse port , Shri Madiwal , vice president of operations and supply chain at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority ( VFPA ), believes enhanced efficiency and reliability , along with strategic investments , will propel the port — and Canada as a whole — forward . To learn more about the port and its future growth plans , Journal of Commerce recently spoke to Madiwal , who shared the following insights .

Q : The Port of Vancouver is considered the most diverse port in North America . What is the port ’ s differentiator in Canada and in the West Coast trade and logistics ecosystem ?

A : Vancouver is the largest port in the country , connected with 170 economies worldwide and handling approximately 150 million metric tons of cargo worth more than $ 300 billion . It ’ s home to 29 terminals and more than 1,000 tenants and serves four main sectors : container , auto , bulk and breakbulk . We handle about 75 % of Canada ’ s grain exports .

With its close distance from the Asian markets , Vancouver is vital in the trans-Pacific trade . One of the other key benefits is that we are the only West Coast port serviced by three Class I railways — Canadian Pacific , Canadian National and BNSF . So that gives us strategic importance , and beneficial cargo owners and freight forwarders use Vancouver as the landing pad for their cargo . Then , they can use the rail network to serve the entire North American market .

The port has significant market share in Canada , accounting for 83 % of Canada ’ s West Coast volumes and 52 % of the Pacific Northwest traffic . It also supports a thriving cruise industry — we welcomed more than 1.3 million passengers last year at the Canada Place cruise terminal , breaking the previous record by more than 80,000 .

42 Journal of Commerce | February 3 , 2025 www . joc . com