Prime Freight’s summary of a June 2024 report by The Loadstar. Read the original for the full story.
In June 2024, with a possible strike threatening to stop Canada’s freight railways, transpacific carriers began cancelling or moving calls at Vancouver and Prince Rupert.
Citing eeSea data, The Loadstar reported 14 port swaps and diversions from Canada to US gateways confirmed from week 24, on top of three since mid-May. Blank sailings announced up to early August included six on Zim’s ZPX service, which would not call at Vancouver before week 31, along with one or two cancellations each on services run by MSC, SM Line, THE Alliance and the Ocean Alliance; ten had been announced within the previous month. Prince Rupert had three cancellations so far and Canada’s Atlantic ports seven, some for unrelated reasons such as vessel maintenance.
eeSea warned that a postponed strike or government intervention would simply prolong the uncertainty. On a brighter note, delays on THE Alliance’s EC5 service to Halifax had fallen from at least 20 days to ten or fewer.
What it meant for shippers
When carriers divert Canadian cargo to US ports, it still arrives, but often at a different port, with extra cross-border transport, customs steps and cost. Checking each booking’s actual discharge port and planning the inland leg limits surprises.