The thought of bringing goods through a Canadian gateway and into the US can be quite daunting, causing many people to just duck and run. However, the benefits of cost savings and quick turn arounds for delivery far outweigh the inconvenience when someone knowledgeable understands the Canadian logistical process.
At Port X Logistics, we offer full logistics support by being the liaison between all Canadian ports and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) for the in-bond re-manifests and border clearances. With access to local bonded dray facilities, warehouses, and drivers we are able to expedite the dray/transload or move intact containers to ensure we meet those strict delivery JIT deadlines.
Want to know more? Keep reading for information on Canadian ports and the pros/cons of using them.
Port of Prince Rupert, British Columbia
The closest North American port to Asia and often the quickest way to gain access to goods and ship to the US, this terminal is often favored because this terminal has minimal traffic congestion. Currently, turnaround time for bond re-manifest is 24 hours. In the winter, dwell times from vessel to rail can vary greatly between three and eight days, which makes trans-loading and trucking transit time much more certain.
With Prince Rupert being 923 miles from Vancouver, many may fumble with all the coordination. We monitor the vessel, container availability, line up the dray, start the Over the Road Driver (OTR) north, re-manifest the bond, load out the OTR driver(s), truck to the border, make sure the necessary documents are in hand to clear customs, and deliver the cargo.
Port of Vancouver, British Columbia
As the most commonly used port for importing and exporting because of its sheer volume and availability of equipment, the Port of Vancouver has 27 marine terminals. The downfall of using Vancouver is the strict port reservations system, which currently can take between three and five days to obtain port appointments to pick up a container. The upside? It is conveniently located less than an hour from the Canadian/US border (Pacific Highway/Blaine, Washington). The convenience in location makes the possibility of picking up a container/transloading and moving in-bond freight and border clear, all in the same day. Once a container has been grounded, it is possible to have the shipments on the consignee’s doorstep to many US destinations within two to five days from both the Ports of Prince Rupert and Vancouver.
Port of Halifax, Nova Scotia
The port of Halifax is known as being the most accessible Canadian import/export location for European cargo. This port does not require use of an appointment system to pick up a container and bond re-manifesting is typically done the same day. This can be a very quick dray/transload/ break bulk or intact dray option.
Port of Montreal, Quebec
Because of its location on the St. Lawrence Seaway, some larger vessels cannot navigate through the seaway’s shallow depths to this port. Winter months can also be challenging and slowed due to potential freezing causing delays. Bond re-manifest can take three to four days to receive a stamped copy from the local CBSA office and dwell times are currently eight to ten days. The option to move a container intact is sometimes the only option to get around re-manifesting with local CBSA office.
Ask us how or simply take your hands off the wheel and we will keep you updated every step of the way! CANADA@portxlogistics.com or (905) 977-7066.