Shipping is the most efficient means of moving cargo worldwide, with ships carrying more than 90% of global trade by water.  As ships transit through many jurisdictions and can cross several boundaries in one voyage, the international governance of shipping is essential for industry to maintain a degree of consistency and global acceptance.

British Columbia is seeing an unprecedented level of investment in ports, terminals and infrastructure to support Canada's growing trade with Asia.  Each project helps create a more competitive environment for our ports and more jobs for communities throughout Western Canada.

While international shipping has embraced the use of new technologies to enhance the mariner's toolkit for safe navigation, ships still look to our professional marine pilots to assist in the safe navigation of vessels along our coast and in the Fraser River.  The requirements for the safe navigation of ships are embodied in the Canada Shipping Act 2001 and other key pieces of marine-related legislation in Canada.

Tankers have been calling BC ports for several decades and continue to demonstrate that industry best practices, which often exceed regulations, can ensure that these transits are done safely and without any harm to the surrounding environment.