Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) released the following statement regarding the shut down of the St. Lawrence Seaway as workers began a strike:
“This labour 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,” said Dennis Darby, president & CEO, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters.
CME sent letters to government urging them to end the strike. The CTMA is among many others within the industry who supported the letters.
More information is available at www.cme-mec.ca.