CME STATEMENT REGARDING THE INTERRUPTION OF TRANSITS IN THE ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY
Ottawa, October 23, 2023 – Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) released the following statement regarding the shut down of the St. Lawrence Seaway as workers began a strike:
“This labor dispute will have a major impact on our businesses. This is another interruption at the heart of the supply chain, and manufacturers are once again being held hostage. The seaway is a key economic artery for Quebec, Ontario and Eastern Canada. In 2022, about 36.3 million metric tons of cargo valued at $16.7 billion passed through the St. Lawrence Seaway’s infrastructure, generating a total of nearly $6 billion in economic activity and supporting over 42,000 jobs in Canada. We encourage the parties involved to negotiate an agreement as soon as possible to put an end to this situation.
CME has been urging the federal government to proactively address the increasingly frequent supply chain disruptions in order to preserve Canada’s competitiveness and global reputation, as well as provide much needed stability to Canadian manufacturers.”
Dennis Darby, President & CEO, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters
About Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters
Since 1871, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters has been helping manufacturers grow at home and, compete around the world. Our focus is to ensure manufacturers are recognized as engines for growth in the economy, with Canada acknowledged as both a global leader and innovator in advanced manufacturing and a global leader in exporting. CME is a member-driven association that directly represents more than 2,500 leading companies who account for an estimated 82 per cent of manufacturing output and 90 per cent of Canada’s exports.