Winter weather conditions across Canada have provided challenging conditions for inbound international freight—with particular stress on vessels, terminal and rail operators. Additionally, terminals across Canada are reporting longer delays for Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) examinations. Off-dock exams at terminals are taking up to 15 days, and VACIS exams are taking five to ten days to complete.

The Prairie and Eastern provinces have received large amounts of snow and have had bitter cold temperatures, which have hampered production. On the West Coast, high winds have affected productivity at terminals, as well as rail capacity. In Vancouver and Prince Rupert, BC, terminals are experiencing longer dwell times resulting from increased container volumes—with some containers taking more than seven days to be loaded to rail.

This week’s vessels arriving in Vancouver and Prince Rupert are also likely to be delayed due to bad weather crossing the Pacific. Vessel bunching at the terminals and late vessel departures are anticipated as a result.

Deringer will continue to monitor and report on cargo operations across Canada. If you have specific questions regarding a shipment, please contact a Deringer customer service center.