The longshore workers at the Port of Vancouver issued a 72-hour strike notice on Friday to take effect at 7 AM PST Monday, May 27, 2019. In response, the BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA), which negotiates on behalf of the 55 companies that operate port facilities, gave notice on Tuesday of a formal lock out of the port’s 6,000 longshore workers to begin at 8 AM PST on Thursday, May 30, 2019.

An embargo application for shipments routing to the locations below is now in place and meant to take effect at 12:01 AM EST on Friday, May 31, 2019. This embargo applies to all shipments originating in Canada and the United States which are billed to the following locations:

• Delta Port
• Vanterm
• Centerm
• Neptune Coal
• Neptune Potash
• Pacific Coast Terminals
• West Coast Reduction
• Lynterm
• Columbia Containers

According to the BCMEA, the embargo is a precautionary measure pending an agreement between them and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), which represents the striking longshore workers.

Vancouver is the third largest port in North America by tonnes of cargo and, in 2018, shipments through the port’s four container terminals reached a record 3.4 million 20-foot-equivalent containers.

Trans-Border will continue to monitor the situation and inform clients should their shipments be affected. If you have any questions, please reach out to Bill Carey, Import Compliance Manager, at bcarey@tbgfs.com or (800) 493-9444.