Supply chain summit unveils new $50M targeted call for proposals to relieve supply chain congestion at Canadian ports
by CM Staff
Ministers also announced that over the coming weeks, this Summit will be followed by a series of regional and industry sessions to continue the dialogue.
OTTAWA — On Jan. 31, the Minister of Transport, Omar Alghabra, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bibeau, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne, the Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Mary Ng, the Minister of Labour, Seamus O’Regan, and the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, hosted a National Supply Chain Summit.
This Summit brought together business and industry leaders and associations to discuss the challenges facing Canada’s supply chain and to identify potential solutions to ensure that what Canadians need reach their households as quickly as possible.
Participants for this initial event included a broad representation of Canadian organizations including business associations, manufacturers, exporters associations, as well as chief executive officers of railway, marine, air, trucking and retail companies.
Ministers also announced that over the coming weeks, this Summit will be followed by a series of regional and industry sessions to continue the dialogue.
To further advance this work, a new Supply Chain Task Force will be created. The Task Force will consult with industry experts to make recommendations regarding short and long-term actions pertaining to Canada’s supply chain. In addition, Transport Canada will make available an online portal for stakeholders and businesses to be able to provide opinions and suggestions.
Also on Jan. 31, Minister Alghabra announced a new, $50 million targeted call for proposals under the National Trade Corridors Fund (NTCF) to immediately relieve supply chain congestion at Canadian ports, for example by increasing their storage capacity.
Budget 2021 also provided an additional $1.9 billion over four years to recapitalize the National Trade Corridor Fund that makes our supply chain more efficient and supports our economic recovery.
“This National Summit was the perfect venue to collaborate with industry partners on how to identify ways to mitigate supply chain pressures, and to encourage partners to come up with innovative solutions. An efficient and reliable transportation network is key to Canada’s economic growth. The Summit represented an important milestone to discuss challenges, strategies, and next steps that will support Canada’s transportation supply chain.” said Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport.
