Halifax port prepares for uncertainty as U.S. strike diverts cargo

The Port of Halifax is expecting increased container traffic as a strike at major American ports diverts cargo north of the border.

“They’ll be unloaded here. Cargos that were originally destined for them to be moved out of the port by rail will be moved out by our CN Rail connection. Cargos that would have otherwise been destined for in and around New York or other port area will stay at the terminal until such time as the labour disruptions conclude,” said Paul MacIsaac, Port of Halifax senior vice-president.

A strike along the eastern seaboard of the United States is stopping the flow of goods, which is impacting almost all cargo ports from Maine to Texas.

Montreal dockworkers are also on strike for three days. Two of the terminals are still operational, but some containers are sitting idle.

The Port of Halifax is expecting to see the same.

“We have capacity for Halifax. We’re currently operating at about 40 per cent capacity, so there is some room to take additional boxes for a period of time,” said MacIsaac.

Certain goods will be moved by freight or trucks, but the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association told CTV News it does not have much extra capacity and a three-day shut down could take weeks to make up for.

Sylvain Charlebois, Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food and Analytics Lab director, said the strike is going to cost Canadians.

“For some of the merchandises, you’re likely to have to spend more on transportation and eventually that will have an impact on retail prices with chain obviously delays may generate more waste,” he said.

Charlebois said the two-week mark is when its impact will be felt.

Port officials are closely monitoring the situation, hoping for a quick resolution to the strike to prevent disruptions.

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