Prince Rupert Port Authority appoints new Chair

The Prince Rupert Port Authority has appointed Frans Tjallingii as the new chair of the board. Tjallingii has been a member of the board since 2017 and is replacing Bud Smith, who had held the role of chair since 2012, with John Farrell serving as the acting chair since Smith retired in June. Tjallingii is a businessman and entrepreneur, and co-founded and chairs the New Leaf Project, which works to find innovative solutions to homelessness. He has over two decades of experience in maritime, oil and gas and technology sectors, including with First Coin Capital, SAAM SMIT Canada and the government of the Netherlands.

Parrish & Heimbecker acquires 10 Louis Dreyfus locations

Parrish & Heimbecker, a Winnipeg-based grain company has announced its acquisition of 10 Louis Dreyfus Company locations across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Through this investment, P&H is seeking to grow a more competitive grain supply chain in Canada by expanding grain terminals, flour milling facilities, feed mills and elevators.

Government of Canada to fund world’s first low-noise and low-emissions tanker

The Government of Canada is investing $30 Million for the design of an LNG-fueled tanker with Vancouver-based Teekay Shipping. One of the goals of the project is to build a vessel that will be up to 90 percent quieter than traditional tankers, reducing its impact on local marine species, including the Southern Resident killer whale. The low-emission and low-noise crude oil tanker will be equipped with the latest proven quiet technologies and powered by Canadian LNG. To limit emissions and ensure the best outcome for marine life, the vessel will have specific design targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent and reduce noise by up to 90 percent, compared to conventional tankers.

Port of Prince Rupert receives infrastructure funding

Transport Canada has announced significant investments into three projects at the Port of Prince Rupert which will increase capacity at the Port and help move Canadian goods to international markets. The three projects totaling $153.7 million, include: building of a double-track bridge across the Zanardi Rapids, increasing rail capacity on key rail routes; providing additional rail capacity and reducing rail congestion for bulk and container facilities on Ridley Island; and, developing land for import and export logistics facilities near the Fairview Terminal and a container yard.

Canada commemorates Merchant Navy and Veterans Day

The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, and the Honourable Harjit Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, released a joint statement to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of the Atlantic as well as Merchant Navy Veterans Day. The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest military engagement of the Second World War - from September 1939 until May 1945. By the end of war more than 25,000 trans-Atlantic merchant ship voyages, transporting approximately 165 million tonnes of cargo, had been completed under the escort of Canadian forces.

Government of Canada invests to restore and protect Great Lakes

The Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna has announced $1.06 million in funding over three years for 10 projects that aim to help restore and protect the Great Lakes. The funding is part of the additional investment of $44.84 million for the Great Lakes Protection Initiative announced in Budget 2017. The projects receiving funding tackle issues including addressing toxic algae blooms in Lake Erie and, creating and restoring the aquatic habitat in the bays and coastal wetlands of Toronto's Tommy Thompson Park by installing underwater reefs and managing invasive grasses. 

Dominic Barton named Canada’s new ambassador to China

The Canadian Government has announced that Dominic Barton will be the next ambassador to Beijing, a move which will end a months-long gap without a top diplomat in the country. Mr. Barton has been a prominent Canadian figure in China and in international economic affairs, with a long career at consultancy firm McKinsey & Company, where he served as global managing partner for nine years. Mr. Barton chaired the Advisory Council on Economic Growth and has worked directly for Chinese interests, as a member of the advisory board for the China Development Bank Capital Group and as an adjunct professor at Tsinghua University.

Hurricane Dorian shuts US east coast ports

After devastating the Bahamas with 185-mph winds, Hurricane Dorian’s eye made landfall on the US mainland earlier today in South Carolina. The weakened Category 1 storm had maximum sustained winds of 90-mph and is was moving northeast at 21 mph. Yesterday the US Coast Guard released important information about what their crews have seen since beginning rescue missions. They report a high risk of debris in the water, sunken vessels and destroyed or missing aids to navigation and pier facilities. They also warn about the risk of chemical spills and topography in ports and marinas from the storm surge of the Category 5 hurricane. The Ports of Charleston and Savannah have reopened to deep draft vessels with restrictions.

Disney to donate $1 million to relief and recovery efforts in The Bahamas

Disney has committed to donating more than $1 million to help relief and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian in The Bahamas. This commitment includes a donation to non-profit relief agencies who will be undertaking recovery and rebuilding efforts, as well as the provision of to impacted areas. Additionally, Disney employees with immediate needs in impacted areas of the Bahamas will have access to a range of resources.

FMC moving forward on demurrage and detention practices

The US Federal Maritime Commissioners approved a set of recommendations today to bring about fairness in the way demurrage and detention fees are administered by ocean carriers and marine terminal operators. The FMC will soon publish a notice of proposed rulemaking to establish “interpretive” rules to address the following:

• Promoting standardized language for demurrage and detention.
• Simplifying the dispute resolution process and billing practices associated with the assessment of these fees.
• Providing guidance on what evidence is relevant to promptly resolving demurrage and detention disputes between shippers, ocean carriers and marine terminals.
• Ensuring consistent industry notice for container availability and equipment returns.

Incoterm to be updated with new rules

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is preparing for the launch of Incoterms® 2020, a new edition of the Incoterms® rules which will become available in September 2019 and will take effect as of January 1, 2020. The new rules will reflect the changing economic landscape and will provide specific guidance to individuals participating in the import and export of goods. For more information about Incoterms®, please visit the ICC’s Incoterms® Rules page.

Maersk to launch single customs process flow for US and Canada credit

Maersk is aiming to allow US and Canadian importers to coordinate customs activity through a single process flow as it seeks to more fully leverage its acquisition of the North American customs broker Vandegrift. Maersk is seeking to become more digital, highlighted by its decision to launch the Maersk Customs Navigator, a solution that Maersk is seeking to integrate into its origin and supply chain management services. The product is intended to give shippers a ‘single window’ experience where customers don’t have to go to multiple systems to get their supply chain management milestones and customs house broker milestones, but instead go to one place for this information.

COSCO shipping ports’ container volumes on the rise

COSCO Shipping Ports have ended the first two quarters of the year with a total throughput rise of 5.4 percent year on year; the container throughput increased to 59.8 million TEUs in H1 2019 from 56.7 million TEUs recorded in H1 2018. The growth was backed by the increased calls from the shipping alliances at the group’s container terminals and the contributions from newly acquired terminals.