Labour stability holds key to trade diversification
Bridgitte Anderson, president and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. / LINKEDIN PHOTO
The breakdown of trade negotiations with the U.S. once again highlights the need for Canada to diversify its export markets and strengthen economic resilience, and that requires reliable trade gateways, says Bridgitte Anderson, president and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade.
“Diversification depends on more than new trade agreements and infrastructure investments,” Anderson wrote in an op-ed. “It requires reliable trade gateways, making labour stability an essential part of Canada’s economic future.”
She argues that “generations of investment in railways, highways, terminals and ports” connected the rest of Canada to the Pacific — and made B.C. the country’s gateway to the world.
Citing the 2025 Ready Commission report, Anderson urges Ottawa to implement recommendations to prevent recurring port disruptions, which affected an estimated $19.2 billion in cargo between 2023 and 2024. Ensuring stable port operations, alongside continued investment, will help Canada build a more competitive, resilient and less U.S.-dependent economy, she says.
“With negotiations between the B.C. Maritime Employers Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada scheduled to begin this fall, now is the time to act on those recommendations. A failure to do so carries significant consequences,” she said.
“Canada has an opportunity and an obligation to strengthen relationships with customers around the world,” said Anderson. “That effort will succeed only if we can offer the reliability and predictability that global supply chains demand.”
