February 8, 2023 – Nearly 70% of global logistics executives say they are bracing for recession amid higher costs, slowing demand and ongoing supply chain disruption arising from China’s battle to contain COVID, Russia’s war in Ukraine and the impact of climate change. Ninety percent of the 750 industry professionals surveyed for the 2023 Agility Emerging Markets Logistics Index also say their shipping, storage and other logistics costs remain well above the pre-pandemic levels they were at in early 2020. The Index, compiled by Ti Insights, ranks China number one, however only 11% of respondents say their company’s manufacturing footprint is the same as before COVID. “Carriers and shippers are feeling the effects of higher energy prices, tight labour markets and broader inflation even though freight rates have fallen and ports have cleared cargo backlogs,” said Agility Vice Chairman Tarek Sultan. “Three years after the start of the pandemic, there is still a lot of volatility in supply chains. Now there’s fresh uncertainty as consumers and businesses pull back on spending and hiring.”
January 31, 2023 – The CBSA on Monday issued the following message: "The CBSA understands and shares the desire to find solutions when it comes to the cost of examinations borne by importers. Although the CBSA selects and examines goods, the costs of the resulting examinations are not imposed by the CBSA, but rather by the shipping industry, which in turn passes the cost on to the importer. All costs of CBSA staff and equipment required to perform an examination are covered by the Government of Canada. As the fees for presenting any goods for examination are generated by the port authority, terminal operators, and/or warehouse operators, the cost of examinations fall outside the authority of the CBSA. Nonetheless, the agency is committed to improving the examination process and exploring potential efficiencies through working collaboratively with industry associations and committees. The CBSA maintains a shared interest in ensuring an efficient flow of the commercial supply chain with minimal impact to its industry partners. The agency is committed to working with other government departments and industry stakeholders to examine gaps, establish service levels and modernize technological systems to ensure an efficient examination process."
January 16, 2023 – Canadian Pacific Railway Limited has reached a tentative collective agreement with Unifor on a new contract for mechanical employees in Canada. Unifor represents approximately 1,200 of CP’s mechanical employees, who are responsible for maintaining rail cars and locomotives. The previous collective agreement expired on December 31, 2022.
January 9, 2022 – Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra today announced amendments to the Transportation Information Regulations to increase supply chain transparency and create a better understanding of the performance of Canada’s freight rail sector for the benefit of all rail users. These amendments aim to strengthen the accountability of freight rail service providers, by requiring major railways to provide Transport Canada with enhanced service and performance information. This information will significantly enhance the value of the information being collected and it will be published weekly on the Government of Canada’s website to provide Canadians with a better picture of end-to-end freight rail performance. Major railways will also provide Transport Canada with additional data to support targeted public policy and other regulatory purposes, including waybill information (such as origin, destination, weight) and traffic data (such as number of carloads, goods, and car types). These changes will come into force on April 4, 2023. They are an important part of the Government of Canada’s response to the issues raised in the National Supply Chain Task Force’s Final Report.
December 25, 2022 – We wanted to wish our customers, our team members and our vendors a Merry Christmas and an upcoming Happy New Year!
December 15, 2022 – Due to the inclement weather today in Toronto, we will be closing our office earlier and our team will be working remotely. Please call us at 416.621.6800 if you require any urgent assistance.
December 12, 2022 – The majority of striking South Korean truckers returned to work on Friday after a damaging 16-day walkout came to an end. The strike had seen the government get involved, as more than $2.5 billion of goods had been held up during the militant action, which started over demands to mandate minimum fares.
December 6, 2022 – CP Update: Vaughan Terminal Gates Temporarily Closed for Export Loads to Racine. Effective 18:00 ET on Tuesday, December 6, gates at CP’s Vaughan Terminal will be closed for export loads to Racine. This is a temporary measure to get current on heavier export volumes. New communication will be issued when CP is ready to reopen the gates.
December 5, 2022 – The Bundestag has officially ratified the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which has been under provisional application since 2017. Only after the adoption of all EU member states can the agreement come fully into force, including provisions on investment protection, which proved controversial in the past. “Eleven countries are still missing,” said Verena Hubertz, vice-chairman of the Bundestag group of Germany’s leading governing party SPD. “But we’re optimistic, now that we’re leading the way, that others will follow quickly,” she said.
November 21, 2022 – The CBSA has confirmed that the CARM project Release 2 implementation date has been changed to October 2023. This will allow them time to ensure that all industry partners are on board.