August 12, 2020 – Canada’s labour minister has rejected requests to intervene in a strike launched Monday by Port of Montreal workers. “We have faith in the collective bargaining process, as we know the best deals are made at the table,” Filomena Tassi said in a statement. “Our government’s clear expectation is for both parties to work together to resolve their differences quickly. We will be monitoring the situation closely, and looking into how to support the ongoing mediation efforts.” Canaan Transport urges that something be done about this situation which has inconvenienced our customers.
August 11, 2020 – Until a truce can be reached, all containerized activities at the Port of the Montreal will continue to be fully paralyzed – this extends to rail, truck and vessel operations. In light of this disappointing situation, MGT confirms that storage will be extended for the duration of the Union’s decision to strike. The following vessels have now been diverted: MSC Rochelle, OOCL Belgium, MSC Martina, M.V. Detroit Express and M.V. Montreal Express.
August 10, 2020 – The U.S. will reinstate 10% tariffs on raw aluminum imports from Canada beginning August 16. The move follows a May 2019 decision to remove tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum imports, saying the imports no longer threatened national security. In response, Canada will impose tariffs on $2.7 billion worth of imports from the U.S., Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Friday. The response is "dollar for dollar," she said. "We will not escalate, and we will not back down." U.S. aluminum producers importing from Canada will have to pay the raw aluminum tariffs, and those costs could trickle down to manufacturers procuring aluminum parts or packaging domestically. That might encourage U.S. manufacturers to seek aluminum products from outside the U.S. at a lower total cost, making U.S. aluminum producers less competitive when selling their products to industrial customers, according to The Aluminum Association.
August 9, 2020 – As we head into another week with the Port of Montreal under strike action, many carriers are now offering services ex Halifax for export shipments. There will be additional charges for this option and we have been advising our customers on a case by case basis to see if this would be an option for urgent cargo. We will keep the community informed as the week progresses.
August 7, 2020 – Please be advised that the Maritime Employers Association (MEA) has received 72 hours’ advance notice from the Longshoremen Union for an indefinite general strike beginning on Monday, August 10 at 7:00 a.m. This indefinite work stoppage would result in the suspension of berthage services normally provided by longshoremen/longshorewomen and the handling of goods in the Port of Montreal terminals as of August 10 at 7:00 a.m. Not affected by this situation are: liquid bulk handling, the Oceanex service (Bickerdike Terminal) and the grain terminal (Viterra). The Montreal Port Authority invites clients to contact or consult the websites of operators such as Termont (Viau and Maisonneuve) and MGTP (Cast and Racine) to learn the latest on the situation.
August 6, 2020 – he stand-off between labour and employers at the Port of Montreal saw another strike disrupting container traffic this week. Frustrated by the situation, carriers have begun to redirect vessels to other ports. Following the end of consecutive strikes by longshoremen and port checkers, which halted operations at the port’s terminals last week, longshoremen began another 96-hour strike on Monday, which will end on Friday. Port checkers announced parallel action from Wednesday to Friday morning. Canaan Transport will continue to pro-actively assist customers who may be affected by this situation. CMA CGM Canada issued a notice this week to advise customers that it may divert Montreal-bound vessels to alternate ports or terminals in Canada "at very short notice," given the strike situation. It noted that any additional charges arising as a consequence of changes to routings would be passed onto the shipments.
August 3, 2020 – Notice issued Monday by the Montreal Gateway Terminals, operator of the Racine and Cast terminals: Given the uncertainties of the current labour situation at the Port of Montreal, effective immediately, MGT will not be in a position to accept any further exports until further notice.
July 31, 2020 – This morning, the Maritime Employers Association (MEA) received a 72-hour strike notice from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 375 informing them of a strike at Termont beginning Monday August 3, at 7:00 am until Friday August 7, at 06:59 am, a period of four days. The strike will target operations at Termont’s two terminals, Viau and Maisonneuve
July 29, 2020 – The Maritime Employers Association received a notice to strike from the Port of Montreal Checkers union’s executive committee. The strike will start on Friday, July 31st at 5:59 am and end on Saturday, August 1st, at 5:59 pm. This will undoubtedly extend the delay in getting the port back to normal operations.
July 27, 2020 – The Port of Montreal remains closed as strike action affects most of the terminals and operations in the city. Affected customers have been provided with what little alternatives remain as the strike is expected to be lifted by August 1st. More as it develops.