A freight train at Manchac, La., about 75 km east of Baton Rouge. (CN.ca)

Oil on rail likely won’t interfere with grain movements

CNS Canada — When considering the pattern of how grain is shipped by rail in Canada, it’s very unlikely increased oil shipments would interfere, according to Quorum Corp. “That’s largely because the flow of grain is predominantly to the West Coast and Thunder Bay,” said Quorum president Mark Hemmes. About 80 per cent of Canadian […] Read more

(PortMetroVancouver.com)

Grain vessel lineup rising at Vancouver

CNS Canada — The lineup of grain vessels waiting for loading at Vancouver increased to 21 for Week 8 of the grain shipping season. Reports by Quorum Corp., which monitors Prairie grain handling, stated vessels at Vancouver were up 31 per cent from the previous week (17). The increase in ships raised sentiments that grain […] Read more

(PortMetroVancouver.com)

Adverse weather slows West Coast grain movement

Adverse weather at Canada’s West Coast is causing a backup of vessels waiting to load grain, according to the latest weekly Grain Monitoring Program performance update compiled by Quorum Corp. A total of 30 ships were waiting in Vancouver as of Sunday, which compares with the year-to-date average of 22, according to the report. A […] Read more

Fibreco’s terminal at Port Metro Vancouver. (Fibreco.com)

Vancouver port space secured for pulse processor AGT

In need of ready access to West Coast tidewater, Prairie pulse crop processor AGT Food and Ingredients is set to work with the B.C. forestry sector to get it. Regina-based, publicly-traded AGT announced Monday it has reached a long-term terminal services agreement with Fibreco Export Inc., a wood fibre and canola meal exporter majority-owned by […] Read more

(PortMetroVancouver.com)

Large number of vessels waiting to load at West Coast

CNS Canada — A large backlog of ships is waiting to load grain at Canada’s West Coast due to a combination of poor weather, early arrivals and railroad logistical issues. The Port of Vancouver lineup included 26 vessels as of Tuesday, according to the latest weekly report from the federal Grain Monitoring Program administered by […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Canpotex sees terminal expansion decision late next year

Winnipeg | Reuters — The new chief executive of Canpotex expects the Canadian potash trader to decide around late 2016 where to expand West Coast terminal capacity, a move that could give it a faster route to Chinese buyers in a highly competitive market. Options include building a $775 million terminal at Prince Rupert, B.C., […] Read more

U.S. West Coast ports undergo partial shutdown

Los Angeles | Reuters –– The 29 ports on the U.S. West Coast were effectively closed to cargo freighters for the second time in less than a week on Thursday under a partial shutdown imposed by shipping lines and terminal operators in an escalating labour dispute with the dockworkers’ union. The loading and unloading of […] Read more

U.S. shippers, West Coast dockworkers resume contract talks

Los Angeles | Reuters — Negotiators for shipping lines and terminal operators at 29 U.S. West Coast ports resumed contract talks with the union for dockworkers on Thursday, as cargo backups continued at the ports, a representative for the labour group said. Officials from the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union […] Read more