Port of Saint John trying to position itself as East Coast’s next major gateway

Advocates say the Port of Saint John could emerge as a serious East Coast contender if it expands its global service connections and continues investing in larger-ship capabilities. Photo by Twelve O'Clock High Drone Services/BNI Brunswick News files

Article content

The Port of Saint John is used to taking a back seat to Montreal and Halifax, but advocates say it could emerge as a serious East Coast contender if it expands its global service connections and continues investing in larger-ship capabilities.

Article content

“Saint John can grow its business by moving into more international services, not only connecting the North Atlantic as it does today, and by ensuring the draft is deep enough to handle larger ships,” Peter Sand, chief analyst at maritime analytics firm Xeneta AS, said.

Article content

Article content

Article content

The New Brunswick port, operated by DP World, which signed a 60-year lease in August, handles ships from six container services, with vessel sizes ranging from 1,700 to 6,700 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units). Those include a feeder service from the Caribbean and Central America and a classic transatlantic service between Northern Europe and North America’s northeast coast, he said.

Article content

Article content

By contrast, Halifax has 20 services and welcomes ships of up to 14,000 TEUs from as far away as Southeast Asia, while Montreal has 12 services, but doesn’t serve any vessels above 4,800 TEUs, according to Xeneta data.

Article content

Sand said no carriers currently deploy 7,000-TEU vessels on Asia–North American East Coast routes, highlighting the need for infrastructure upgrades if Saint John hopes to attract such traffic. He said the port’s ambitious target of one million TEUs is achievable only through growth in global carrier connections, larger vessels and additional services.

Article content

Doug Smith, DP World Canada chief executive, said the company has invested more than $250 million in Saint John to bring in new cranes, deepen berths and enhance rail connectivity.

Article content

Article content

“We’ve brought in extra cranes, especially to get the height on deck,” he said. “We see Saint John’s natural deep water as a major advantage, and we’re aligned with carriers to grow volume as markets rebound.”

Article content

Article content

Smith said Saint John is not competing directly with Halifax or Montreal, but offers a distinct value proposition.

Article content

“Saint John has deep water, like Halifax, but we also have three Class 1 railroads in every direction, including into the Northeastern U.S.,” he said. “That’s a big advantage for containers bound for Boston or Maine.”

Article content

The port, Smith said, is positioning itself as a key East Coast gateway with deep-water access, multimodal rail links and modernized infrastructure. Despite global trade challenges, he said the port is on track toward one million TEUs, driven by strategic investments, carrier partnerships and regional industrial integration.

Article content

“Investments like those made by DP World will only pay off if you bring the business around, too,” Sand said. “DP World is primarily a terminal operator, so its success depends on attracting major global carriers.”