Canada's trade diversification depends on labour stability at B.C. ports
This op-ed was originally written for The Vancouver Sun by GVBOT President & CEO Bridgitte Anderson, and published on August 24, 2026.
The breakdown of trade negotiations with the U.S. marks a watershed moment, underscoring a reality that Canadians from coast to coast have increasingly come to recognize: Canada cannot afford to depend so heavily on a single export market.
Strengthening Canada’s economic resilience through trade diversification is now an urgent national priority. Yet diversification depends on more than new trade agreements and infrastructure investments. It requires reliable trade gateways, making labour stability an essential part of Canada’s economic future.
B.C. has always been at the forefront of Canadian trade. Generations of investment in railways, highways, terminals and ports connected the rest of Canada to the Pacific and made B.C. the country’s gateway to the world.
Today, as Canada works to expand trade with fast-growing markets across the Asia-Pacific and beyond, that role has never been more important.
That is why the federal government’s new Port of Vancouver Gateway Strategy represents one of the country’s most consequential economic initiatives. By expanding container capacity, strengthening rail connections and supporting long-term trade growth, Ottawa and our gateway partners are making a major investment in Canada’s economic future. But federal responsibility does not end once the infrastructure is built. If Canada is going to succeed in diversifying trade and strengthening its economic resilience, our trade corridors must also operate reliably.
That means treating labour stability as an essential part of Canada’s trade infrastructure.
The federal government already has a roadmap to achieve it. Following the 2023 port strike, Ottawa established an “industrial inquiry commission,” led by respected labour relations expert Vince Ready, to examine the causes of recurring labour disruptions at Canada’s west coast ports. In its 2025 report, the commission concluded that the bargaining framework was “broken, but not beyond repair” and provided recommendations to strengthen labour relations and improve long-term stability. With negotiations between the B.C. Maritime Employers Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada scheduled to begin this fall, now is the time to act on those recommendations.
A failure to do so carries significant consequences. Between 2023 and 2024, the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade’s “port shutdown calculator” found that labour-related disruptions at west coast ports impacted approximately $19.2 billion in cargo. Importers chose to divert shipments south to U.S. ports. Canadian exporters, however, are left with few options.
The picture becomes more dire given that even short stoppages could permanently reroute cargo through competing American ports. At a moment when Canada-U.S. trade relations have crossed the Rubicon, Canada has an opportunity and an obligation to strengthen relationships with customers around the world. That effort will succeed only if we can offer the reliability and predictability that global supply chains demand.
Implementing the recommendations from the industrial inquiry commission will provide the stability needed to unlock the full potential of the gateway strategy, increasing container-handling capacity at the Port of Vancouver by 50 per cent and enabling more than $100 billion in additional annual trade capacity.
We are already seeing the national focus on trade bear fruit. The Port of Vancouver handled a record 170.4 million metric tonnes of cargo in 2025, an eight per cent increase over 2024. Additionally, more than 80 per cent of exports moving through the 29 terminals in Greater Vancouver are destined for markets outside the U.S.
Private-sector partners are investing alongside that growth. Global Container Terminals has invested nearly $500 million in expansions at Deltaport and Vanterm in recent years, and is ready to support expansion at Roberts Bank. BHP Jansen potash project, based in Saskatchewan, triggered a $1 billion investment to Westshore Terminals. An investment and planned expansion of terminal capacity at the Port of Prince Rupert created a new market for liquefied propane exports. In a few short years, Canada went from no exports to providing more than 20 per cent of Japan’s and 15 per cent of South Korea’s imports, displacing Middle Eastern product at a critical time. Together, these investments are strengthening Canada’s ability to reach global markets and reinforcing the Port of Vancouver’s role as the country’s gateway to the Asia-Pacific.
Trade diversification depends on capacity, efficiency, and reliability. Through the gateway strategy, Ottawa has committed to strengthening the first two. Port operators, terminal operators, and businesses are investing to help make that vision a reality. The Ready Commission has provided a roadmap for the third. By implementing the recommendations before bargaining begins this fall, the federal government can help secure a more competitive, resilient, and independent Canadian economy for decades to come.