Speed, reach, reliability
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRADE AND LOGISTICS
In a soft market, shippers may win on ocean rates, but Krawczyk warned blank sailings and poor performance from alliance carriers often force importers to order more, carry excess inventory or resort to expensive air freight. On the flip side, when demand spikes, those blank sailings disappear— but performance doesn’ t improve. Space disappears, rates surge and importers are left scrambling, often paying more just to move the same cargo.
“ But it doesn’ t have to be that way,” Krawczyk said.“ There’ s room for true partnerships— where a‘ set it and forget it’ mindset is actually possible. When Swire and UWL came together to develop Sun Chief Express, we took a different approach. We listened. We built a service around what customers actually needed: guaranteed sailings, fixed rates, real people and reliable transit times. It’ s not an automated ticket-counter model— it’ s white-glove support at a fair price, and we’ re proud to say it’ s working.”
This back-and-forth uncertainty concerning tariffs makes it challenging to narrow down the best course of action, but this is not new territory for many global supply chains.
“ The only normal in the global supply chain has been abnormality for the past several years,” said Brad Mayer, general manager of transportation for Yusen Logistics’( Americas) Contract Logistics Group.
“ Unfortunately, that trend only seems to be getting increasingly complex. There is no silver-bullet solution to this challenge, so individuals that work in the supply chain and logistics industry need to master being resilient, adaptable and getting creative— daily,” Mayer added.
He recommends working as a team to adapt to the changes, expecting daily shifts while maintaining strong communication, coordination and collaboration with internal and external business partners. There is also a pressing need to evaluate, if not implement, a diversified sourcing strategy to reduce dependency on high-tariff areas.
“ Implementing advanced customs clearance technology and training staff on new customs requirements to maintain efficient logistics operations will be critical,” Mayer said.
“ 3PLs [ third-party logistics providers ] must invest in enhanced trade compliance systems and expertise to navigate the complex regulatory landscape. Finally, continually monitoring trade policy developments and tariff adjustments to anticipate potential impacts and adjust logistics strategies accordingly, while arduous, is mandatory.” n
email: amy. wunderlin @ gmail. com
Speed, reach, reliability
As Canada’ s northernmost trade gateway on the West Coast, the Port of Prince Rupert provides shippers with unparalleled speed, reliability and reach in moving cargo between Asian and North American markets.
With the shortest and fastest trade route on the trans-Pacific— 500 nautical miles closer than other Pacific Northwest ports— shipping through the Port of Prince Rupert saves vessels up to 60 hours of sailing time. By operating in the deepest natural harbor in North America, the port offers safe, direct access via deep, wide and protected approaches, with pilot times that are two to six hours shorter than competitors.
Prince Rupert’ s Fairview Container Terminal, a dedicated shipto-rail intermodal facility, offers shippers formidable competitive advantages, including uncongested rail connection to the North American heartland via CN’ s continent-wide network; exceptional labor and community support; and significant capacity for growth. With the capability to handle post-Malaccamax vessels, Fairview is currently Canada’ s second-largest container terminal, with a capacity of 1.6 million TEUs.
To build on the gateway’ s advantages, the Port of Prince Rupert is actively expanding its fully integrated intermodal ecosystem, adding new capacities and capabilities for transloading and logistics. These investments reinforce Prince Rupert’ s growing value proposition of increased supply chain flexibility being brought into operations serving both Canadian and US import and export sectors.
The Prince Rupert Port Authority is constructing CANXPORT, a transformative new rail-fed export logistics development that will provide innovative, large-scale, rail-to-container transloading. Ray-Mont Logistics will build and operate facilities that provide annual transloading service capacity for 400,000 TEUs of multiple agricultural, forestry and plastic resin products, with room to expand to other cargo types in the future.
To complement operations at CANXPORT and improve competitiveness for shippers, IntermodeX is developing LinX, a cutting-edge import transload and logistics facility that will enhance supply chain resiliency by connecting Asia with key distribution hubs across North America. To maximize efficiency, CANXPORT and LinX are both located near Fairview Container Terminal and connected via a port-owned, private-haul road and rail lines. n
66 Journal of Commerce | May 5, 2025 www. joc. com