D'Arcy McGee: Port, DP World place their bets that Typhoon Trump on Trade will dissipate

Friday, June 22, 2018

Port, DP World place their bets that Typhoon Trump on Trade will dissipate

With yet another investment into gradual expansion of the Fairview Terminal footprint on the Prince Rupert waterfront, DP World and the Port of Prince Rupert appear to be putting their faith in global trade arrangements remaining much as they are, the investment plans moving forward despite the bombast and bluster of the current President of the United States.

As part of Tuesday evening's Annual Public Meeting from the Port, Shaun Stevenson the now newly installed President and CEO, observed as to all those containers that arrive through the Fairview Terminal facility on a daily basis destined for the United States, making note as to how Canada can make use of empty containers that are heading back to China, by sending our own commodities and goods in return to Asian ports.

As part of his overview on the night, Mr. Stevenson provided for a wide ranging overview of Port planning and growing levels of shipments highlighting the expansion plans ahead and the importance of the Port to the Northwest, British Columbia and Canadian economy and offered up projections of increased trade through port facilities.

That's a significant bit of optimism considering the mercurial ways of the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Drive in Washington, who issues trade missives on a daily basis, sometimes hourly.

Almost at the same time onTuesday that the Port and DP were expressing their faith in the global trade regimen, President Trump again reiterated his concerns on trade with China, Canada, Mexico and pretty well any other country in the world that he takes note of when wakes up each day.

His appearance at a gathering of the National Federation of Independent Business in the US this week offered up the prospect of trade threats towards China. With the President suggesting a range of tariffs and an escalation of what seems destined to be a global trade war that would surely slow down the volume of goods that make the transit from North America to Asian ports world wide.

One of the major selling points for the Port of Prince Rupert is the connectivity that CN Rail provides from the Fairview Dock through into the heart of the United States and on into the Deep South.

Needless to say, any escalation of trade tensions between the two largest trading blocks in the world probably will have some kind of impact on projections of throughput for imports through the North coast gateway to the world.