The future of Canadian shipping

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JollyJack
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The future of Canadian shipping

Post by JollyJack »

Public domain, see http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/ctareview2014/CTAR_Vol1_EN.pd A long read but it shows how valuable Canadian seafarers are. It gets interesting at chapter 10. Italics and bold font are mine.

Pathways: Connecting Canada's Transportation System to the World - Volume 1

Chapter 10: Marine Transport
1.O The Review recommends that the Government of Canada maintain a user-pay approach to ensure continued financing for infrastructure and operational needs, while also taking steps to improve cost competitiveness with comparable jurisdictions by:
a. establishing a uniform and timely process for publicly filing rate and charge increases for all federally-mandated services (pilotage, towing, dredging, port charges, etc);
b. authorizing the Canadian Transportation Agency to review all marine fees on a regular basis in terms of their reasonableness and cost competitiveness, as well as in response to complaints.

2. The Review also recommends that the Government of Canada work with the provinces to further improve cost competitiveness by ensuring that payments in lieu of municipal taxes required of individual port authorities are no greater than for comparable industries.


3. The Review recommends that the Government of Canada strengthen the viability, accountability, and competitiveness of marine ports in Canada by:
a. examining the feasibility and viability of adopting a share-capital structure for Canada Port Authorities, including receiving proposals from institutional investors or private equity investors, accompanied by legislation to enshrine the economic development and trade mandate of ports and to protect the public and national interests;
b. encouraging regional amalgamation of Port Authorities guided by common-user and other principles embodied in the Canada Marine Act;
c. introducing light-touch regulation covering fees, charges, common use of the facilities, and unfair competition by the port against its tenants to protect users;
d. conferring oversight and enforcement of the measures in (c) on the Canadian Transportation Agency.

4. The Review recommends that the Government of Canada act to increase the competitiveness of Canadian shipping and competition in the short sea shipping market by:

a. promoting short sea shipping as a mechanism to alleviate congestion in urban areas and reduce Canada’s growing greenhouse gas and air pollutant emission levels, especially through ports along the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System;

b. modernizing recruiting and training of Canadian seafarers, and improving processes for attracting and certifying foreigner workers with needed skill sets;

c. phasing-out the operating restrictions on the basis of reciprocity in the Coasting Trade Act, beginning immediately with container services; eliminating restrictions altogether within a transition period of no more than seven years;
d. phasing-out all remaining duties on imported vessels within a transition period of no more than seven years to respect Canadian ship-owners’ recent investments in specialized vessels;

e. aligning regulations governing Canadian-flagged ship operators to put them on a competitive basis with international operators who would be gaining access to Canada’s domestic trades. 2nd Canadian Registry… foreign flag and foreign crews!
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JK
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Re: The future of Canadian shipping

Post by JK »

Because politicos are absolutely clueless about the marine industry. A couple of high profile accidents should help educate them, though a bulker on Scatterie didn't seem to work. Though, if the Canadian frigate had landed aground beside it after it's towline broke, there may had been a few red faces.
Revolver
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Re: The future of Canadian shipping

Post by Revolver »

We sure are important...to make our employers a bunch of profit.

"The current policy of prohibiting access to Canadian domestic operations by foreign-
owned and registered vessels is restrictive and protectionist.
"

Hrmm...They make it sound like a bad thing... ...
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Re: The future of Canadian shipping

Post by Big Pete »

In Economics there is a "law of comparative advantage" which demonstrates that each Country should concentrate on doing what it does most profitably, selling its surplus production of the goods and service that it is best at producing in exchange for the goods and services it less good at making. This demonstrably increases Global wealth and the wealth of individual Countries, and the individuals in them, by reducing the prices of the goods and services, and reducing the subsidies paid to inefficient producers.
That was behind GATT in 1948 (The General Agreement of Trade and Tariffs) which later became the WTO (World Trade Organisation), they have continually carried out negotiations to reduce import duties export subsidies and other restrictions on Free Trade.
Alaska could be self sufficient in Tropical fruit, but the cost of heated greenhouses and artificial sun light would mean Alaskans paying $50 for a pineapple, and throw fruit growers in the tropics out of work, it just doesn't make sense.

Painful though Free Trade is, to some people, in some places, at some times, especially when it is first introduced and causes structural changes, we all benefit, all the time, all over the World, from cheaper and better goods and services, and wider choice.

Countries such China under Mao, and Albania tried to be self sufficient in everything but drove their populations into famine and starvation during his great "Leap forward".

Unfortunately for us, because Seafarers are extremely mobile, people from anywhere in the World can do our job, we may not think as well as us Seafarers from the old established shipping countries, but they get ships from A to B cheaply, and the insurers think they are competent enough to insure the ships they man, and they should know.
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JK
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Re: The future of Canadian shipping

Post by JK »

Unfortunately for us, because Seafarers are extremely mobile, people from anywhere in the World can do our job, we may not think as well as us Seafarers from the old established shipping countries, but they get ships from A to B cheaply, and the insurers think they are competent enough to insure the ships they man, and they should know.

Because ISM fixed it all.
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