Canadians are navigating a moment in time like no other. Trade rules have been upended. Canadians are concerned about their economic future and the cost of living. Read More
Opinion: Canada must grow its trade capacity and diversify where we sell to, and selling to Indo-Pacific markets is where the single biggest opportunity for Canadian businesses lies.
Opinion: Canada must grow its trade capacity and diversify where we sell to, and selling to Indo-Pacific markets is where the single biggest opportunity for Canadian businesses lies.
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Canadians are navigating a moment in time like no other. Trade rules have been upended. Canadians are concerned about their economic future and the cost of living.
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In times like these, all of us across the country have a role to play in meeting the moment, supporting our fellow citizens and putting our “let’s-get-big-things-done” energy to the test.
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The good news? Our nation’s ports are ready to do just that. From New Brunswick, to Montreal, to the Port of Vancouver, all of us are stepping up to help get more of the products Canadians manufacture, harvest and mine to more customers around the world.
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Prime Minister Carney and his cabinet’s focus on getting big projects built, including trade-enabling infrastructure is invigorating. Canada must grow its trade capacity and diversify where we sell to — now. Yes, Europe is a growth opportunity and, therefore the government’s inclusion of the Port of Montreal expansion and other port projects on its list of nationally significant projects is important.
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Informed Opinion
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However, we must also look west because, on an even grander scale, selling to Indo-Pacific markets is where the single biggest opportunity for Canadian businesses lies. The region will represent 50 per cent of the globe’s GDP by 2040. That forecast growth represents billions of prospective customers in Japan, South Korea, China and more who want and need Canadian products to feed their families and build their cities.
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Trading west isn’t a-nice-to-have, it’s a must-do.
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Looking west, the Port of Vancouver is uniquely poised to step up to meet this demand.
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One: Diversification has long been our strength. More than 170 of the world’s 195 economies trade through the Port of Vancouver. As Canada’s largest port and the most cargo-diverse in North America, it’s where you can see the entire Canadian economy in action.
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Just this year, and despite tariffs and economic uncertainty, the port’s trade volumes so far in 2025 are up 13 per cent year-over-year, the highest mid-year jump in 15 years. A surge in Albertan oil has reached Asian markets this year, following completion of the Trans Mountain expansion project in 2024. Strong volumes of Prairie grain and agricultural products have moved to diverse export markets led by China and Japan.
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Two: Our growth plans and partnerships are purpose-built to meet the moment. For decades, well before the tariffs, Port of Vancouver partners have planned to meet growing demand for products from industries across Canada. Together, we have advanced complex projects such as DP World’s $500-million Centerm expansion project, BHP’s close to $1-billion potash export facility at Westshore Terminals that will unlock potash export capacity from the Jansen mine in Saskatchewan, and the Trans Mountain expansion project at Westridge Marine Terminal.