The announcement of new regulations relating to the movement of cargo between the United States and Canada is not only welcome, but also makes quite the statement to shippers around the globe.
There are going to be nationalists in the US and in Canada who undoubtedly complain about the Beyond the Border announcement moving closer to Canada and the US being inseparable from each other, which is a bit of a farce, but it makes sense. This is even more true in the case of cargo being moved by rail as is the case of Fairview Terminal - if the containers are scanned, put on a train and shipped non-stop to Chicago or the midwest, why would you need to scan them again when they enter the US.
But more so I think this announcement sent a message to the world that the Canadian Government is not only aware of the importance of Prince Rupert as a gateway to the Asia-Pacific, but that it is committed to it. And that can only be a good thing for Prince Rupert and the port authority moving forward.
When you look at the two ports that were chosen to be part of this year-long pilot project, you have Canada’s largest port in Montreal for cargo coming to Eastern Canada and you have Prince Rupert for cargo from the Asian markets. It would have been pretty easy to choose Canada’s largest western gateway in Vancouver, which also provides significantly more employment than Fairview Terminal here in Prince Rupert, but the Government didn’t do that. Instead they put the focus of the shipping world and the national media squarely on Prince Rupert.
And while this practice may become the norm after the pilot project ends in 2013, this is just another potential marketing tool for Fairview Terminal, which can already boast quick and efficient service to the mid-western United States.
For those who wondered to what extent Prince Rupert was on the national radar in terms of the import/export business, this speaks volumes.