Policy Brief: Is Canada's trade infrastructure up to the task?

"As export volumes increased and diversification moved from idea to practice, limits in the physical system became harder to ignore. The Port of Vancouver emerged as Canada's main outlet for bulk grain, oilseeds and potash. Much of this traffic into the North Shore terminals came to depend on a single vertical-lift rail bridge at the Second Narrows. When the bridge is raised for ships, trains stop. When there are mechanical or safety issues, grain and other bulk products sit."

"For many years, Canadian agriculture relied mainly on the United States as its export market. Rail service patterns, highways and port investments grew around that north-south trade. In the last decade, tariff threats, trade disputes and shifting U.S. policy have exposed the risk of relying so heavily on one customer and added urgency to efforts to build more trade into Asia, Europe and other regions."

Canadian agriculture historically depended on the United States as its primary export market. Rail service patterns, highways and port investments were built around north-south trade. In the last decade tariff threats, trade disputes and shifting U.S. policy exposed the risk of relying on one customer and prompted efforts to diversify toward Asia, Europe and other regions. Rising export volumes revealed physical system constraints at the Port of Vancouver. Much bulk traffic relies on a single vertical-lift rail bridge at the Second Narrows, causing train stoppages when the bridge is raised or when mechanical or safety issues occur, leaving grain and other bulk products delayed.

Read at Realagriculture