Month in Review – May 2026
Maritime
May 1: Decision on IMO Net Zero Framework Deferred to November – Seatrade Maritime News
Further discussions to strengthen the Net Zero Framework (NZF) have been agreed on at the IMO’s Maritime Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), meaning that adoption of the regulations will take place in November at the earliest.
The effective outcome of this MEPC84 is that the NZF, apparently on the rocks following the MEPC/ES2 in October, is now seemingly back on track.
May 6: Ottawa Designates Port of Quebec an International Container Port – Inside Logistics
The Port of Quebec has been officially designated an international container port by the Government of Canada, a move aimed at strengthening supply chains and expanding the country’s port capacity.
The designation provides the port with the authority and framework to handle international container traffic as a first point of entry, following certification from the Canada Border Services Agency to offer full customs services.
With the decision, the Port of Quebec joins a select group of Canadian ports able to process international containerized goods, a step the federal government says will improve trade flow and add capacity along the St. Lawrence–Great Lakes corridor.
May 9: Seafarers Stuck in Hormuz Suffer from Anxiety and Depression, Mental Health Issues on the Rise – Marine Insight
The biggest fear among the 20,000 seafarers stuck on 1,500 ships in the Strait of Hormuz is not food or water, but death by a missile strike or resultant fire.
Stephen Cotton, general secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation, said that seafarers suffer from poor mental health due to the constant fear of being killed on their ship. Most of them have seen missiles blowing up ships near them, and this has ruined their mental health.
Most are unable to regularly communicate with their families and feel lonely and trapped.
The uncertainty of when the U.S.-Iran war will end and they will go home has added to their emotional burden.
Cotton added that it is unlikely that the vessels will be allowed to pass through the strait any time soon.
May 11: Shipping Companies Leverage Arabian Peninsula Truck Routes to Bypass Hormuz – The Maritime Executive
With the Strait of Hormuz remaining closed, logistics operators are working out how to get consignments to and from Gulf destinations previously served by ports that are now in effect blocked to external traffic. Without extensive state direction, entrepreneurs are opening up new routes and increasing capacity on existing routes.
One immediate beneficiary has been traffic flow on Route 95, which starts from the Saudi town of Alkwifiriah close to the Saudi-Qatari border crossing at Salwa. The route then crosses through the Shaybah oilfield and enters Oman at the Ramlet Khelah border crossing point, which was opened in January 2023. The route had been long in the planning; its opening was delayed by the engineering difficulties of pushing a highway through the shifting sands of the “Empty Quarter.”
The route has cut the travelling time between the start and end points by 16 hours, cutting out the old road across the sand or the necessity of diverting through the UAE with the inevitable delays at customs points.
According to the Oman Public Authority for Special Economic and Free Zones, the value of goods crossing the border almost tripled to $830 million in March, from $300 million in February.
May 12: What Freight Forwarders Should Watch Under China’s Revised Maritime Code – TT Talk
China’s revised Maritime Code is not a minor amendment. It is the first comprehensive overhaul since the Code entered into force in the early 1990s, and it reshapes several rules that freight forwarders deal with every day, often without conscious reference to the law behind them.
For freight forwarders, the most important message is simple: Your legal role can change from shipment to shipment. In one transaction, you may act purely as an agent passing instructions. In another, you may issue documents or contract in your own name and find yourself treated as a contracting carrier, NVOCC or multimodal transport operator.
The revised Code does not single out freight forwarders, but it does shift risk towards the party closest to the transport contract and the transport record. In practice, that can be the forwarder.
This article reviews the key changes freight forwarders should have on their radar and, critically, what they should be doing as the new rules take effect.
May 12: UK Expands Military Commitment in 40-Nation Defensive Mission to Secure Strait of Hormuz – gCaptain
The United Kingdom is significantly expanding its military commitment to securing the Strait of Hormuz, announcing on May 12 that it will deploy autonomous mine-hunting systems, counter-drone technology, Typhoon fighter jets, and the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon as part of a future multinational maritime security mission.
The announcement came during a virtual summit of defence ministers representing more than 40 nations involved in what British officials described as a “strictly defensive” multinational mission aimed at restoring confidence in commercial shipping through one of the world’s most strategically important waterways.
The mission, led jointly by the UK and France, will become operational “when conditions allow,” according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
May 14: Canadian Ports Gain as U.S. West Coast Imports Fall – Port Technology International
North America West Coast laden import volumes fell by 3.9 percent year-on-year in Q1 2026, with the decline concentrated across U.S.-based ports, according to Sea-Intelligence.
The latest issue of the Sea-Intelligence Sunday Spotlight found that Canadian ports recorded growth during the quarter, led by Vancouver and Prince Rupert.
Vancouver handled more than 491,000 TEUs in laden imports in Q1 2026, representing a 9.0 percent year-on-year increase. Sea-Intelligence said this reversed a slight year-on-year decline recorded in the previous year and marked a new high for absolute laden import volumes at the port.
Prince Rupert also posted growth, with laden import volumes rising 7.8 percent year-on-year. The increase took volumes above the port’s Q1 2024 level, although they remained below the Q1 highs recorded between 2019 and 2022.
By contrast, all major U.S. West Coast ports recorded negative year-on-year growth.
Sea-Intelligence said the figures point to a northward shift in cargo flows towards Canadian gateways.
May 14: China Imposes Penalties on Nine International Container Lines – Seatrade Maritime News
China’s Ministry of Transport issued an announcement on penalties imposed on nine international container liner shipping companies and seven non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs).
In August, September and November 2025, the Ministry of Transport conducted inspections on the implementation of freight rate filing by international container liner shipping companies and NVOCCs at the ports of Guangzhou, Qingdao and Ningbo. It was found that nine international container liner shipping companies and seven NVOCCs committed violations such as failure to go through freight rate filing procedures or charging freight rates inconsistent with the filed rates.
The nine shipping companies are CMA CGM Group, TS Lines (Singapore), Wan Hai Lines (Singapore), SM Lines, Emirates Shipping Line, Evergreen Marine (Asia), Hapag-Lloyd AG, MSC and Ocean Network Express (ONE) Pte Ltd.
The Ministry imposed administrative penalties on the companies and held talks with those with serious violations, stated the Ministry.
May 15: Paul Bird Returns as New President and CEO of Montreal Port Authority – Maritime Magazine
The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) has announced the appointment effective June 7 of Paul Bird as new President and CEO, reflecting a move towards renewed leadership stability following a period of turbulence this spring punctuated by the reported dismissal on April 3 of Julie Gascon.
Bird left his post in March as the MPA’s Chief Commercial Officer quarterbacking the port’s Contrecœur container terminal project to join the executive team of ALTO seeking to develop a high-speed rail service on the Toronto-Quebec City corridor.
May 18: Iran Launches Official ‘Persian Gulf Strait Authority’ Account, Declares Unauthorized Hormuz Transit ‘Illegal’ – gCaptain
The Iranian-backed Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) has officially launched a public presence on X, marking the clearest effort yet by Tehran to formalize and publicize its emerging control regime over commercial shipping transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
The newly launched account, operating under the handle “PGSA_Iran,” introduced itself as the “official X account of the Persian Gulf Strait Authority” and said it would provide “real-time updates” on operations and developments in the strategically critical waterway.
In a second post, the organization declared itself the “legal entity and representative authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran for managing the passage and transit through the Strait of Hormuz.”
The statement went further, warning that navigation through waters designated by Iranian authorities and the Iranian Armed Forces now requires “full coordination” with Tehran. “Passage without permission will be considered illegal,” the account stated.
The launch of the account appears to formalize what shipping executives and maritime security firms have been warning about for days: Iran is attempting to establish a de facto permission-based transit regime through one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints.
May 20: Canada’s Trade Diversification Agenda: The Problem with Ports – Fraser Institute
The Carney government has pledged to double Canada’s exports to markets other than the United States by 2035. That’s a tall order, especially in a world of rising protectionism and mounting geopolitical tension. The goal also faces obstacles posed by many years of weak business investment across a wide swathe of Canadian industries, including those that drive most of the country’s exports.
The efficiency, reliability and overall performance of major ports is a significant factor affecting the global competitiveness of most trading countries. Well-functioning ports bolster the cost competitiveness of host countries’ exports in international markets. They also reduce the cost of imported goods sought by domestic consumers and businesses.
Unfortunately, as confirmed in the World Bank’s latest assessment of port performance, Canada is a laggard. The World Bank uses an index to assess port performance, largely based on estimates of “vessel time in port.” The latter term captures both the time ships are at berth and how long they must wait prior to loading/unloading. The World Bank reports data for 403 container-handling ports spanning all parts of the globe.
North American ports generally receive poor scores. Within North America, west coast ports are near the bottom, with Vancouver faring especially badly (389th globally). Canada’s other west coast container port, Prince Rupert, comes in at 362nd. Montreal is ranked 344th. Canada’s east coast maritime gateway, Halifax, scores much better (55th) than other Canadian ports.
The Carney government has identified several trade-related infrastructure projects as candidates for regulatory fast-tracking as part of the prime minister’s “build-build-build” agenda. Expanding cargo-handling capacity and strengthening the performance of Canada’s major ports should be a central part of the government’s broader trade diversification agenda. As trade with non-U.S. markets grows, ports, pipelines, railways and shipping networks will become increasingly critical to Canada’s prosperity.
May 20: Shipping Industry Issues Stark New Hormuz Transit Guidance as Risks Mount – gCaptain
The global shipping industry has released sweeping new guidance for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, warning that even if the waterway remains technically open, conditions inside the chokepoint may still be too dangerous for safe navigation.
The 22-page advisory, issued jointly by major industry groups including BIMCO, International Chamber of Shipping, INTERTANKO, OCIMF, INTERCARGO and IMCA, paints one of the clearest pictures yet of the deteriorating operational environment facing merchant ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
The document warns that vessels may face a “high workload and high-stress operating environment” where kinetic threats, electronic warfare, heavy congestion, mines, drones, AIS spoofing and navigation hazards could all occur simultaneously.
“Transit planning must consider both security risk and navigational risk,” the guidance states.
May 25: Study: Canadian Ports Are Getting Fewer Direct Connections – The Maritime Executive
Ongoing shifts in global shipping networks could be reducing Canadian ports’ connectivity, according to a recent analysis by the Bank of Canada. Based on datasets for ship movements between 2016 and 2023, it is apparent that Canadian ports have become less directly connected to global shipping networks, compared with ports in other countries. This has increased the chances that foreign supply disruptions, especially at distant hubs, impact Canada’s domestic markets and prices.
To map the decline, the central bank analysis calculated the degree centrality, which is an indicator of the number of unique destinations directly connected to a port. Low degree centrality means a port has few dedicated routes. The study found that the degree centrality of Canada’s top five ports declined considerably between 2016 and 2023.
For instance, the weighted centrality for Port of Vancouver back in 2016 was 0.75 percent, but this fell to 0.16 percent in 2023. A similar trend is visible for Halifax, Montreal, New Westminster [Fraser Surrey terminal] and St. John’s. For context, the degree centrality for Zhoushan in China, the world’s most connected port, was calculated at 2.9 percent in 2023.
Air
May 13: Construction Begins on International Cargo Hub at Edmonton International Airport – CTV News
Ground was broken on May 13 on an international cargo hub at Edmonton International Airport, which officials say will turn the airport into a larger player in global trade.
The 2,000-acre project near the 65 Avenue interchange will consist of multiple logistics and storage warehouses, a runway with “guaranteed landing” lighting that will help cargo planes land in inclement weather, and a quick-fueling hydrant system, similar to one in Anchorage, Alaska, where cargo planes often go to refuel.
Airport president and CEO Myron Keehn said the airport is a strategic location for a cargo hub because of its energy and logistics parks, and position as a gateway to the north as well as an inland port to Prince Rupert and Vancouver.
The project is expected to cost $300 million altogether.
The first phase of construction will cost $160 million and is scheduled to be complete by early 2028. Half of the funding was provided by Ottawa through the National Trade Corridors Fund while the airport is funding the other half.
May 17: Cargo Backlogs Feared as 3 Out of 4 Explosive Detection Scanners Down at Dhaka Airport – The Business Standard
Three of the four explosive detection system (EDS) scanners used to screen export cargo at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport are out of service, raising concerns among exporters and freight operators over cargo backlogs, mounting costs and the risk of air export disruptions.
According to industry insiders, the situation remains manageable for now because export pressure is relatively low, but warned that a sharp increase in cargo volumes during the next peak season could trigger a major operational crisis.
Kabir Ahmed, president of the International Air Express Association of Bangladesh, said at least two to three EDS scanners normally need to remain operational to ensure smooth export handling.
May 19: NAV Canada ‘Scraping the Barrel’ to Prevent Flight Disruptions, Says Expert – Global News
NAV Canada says it’s taking several steps to increase the amount of available staff this summer to meet peak demand periods, in moves air industry experts say are akin to “scraping the barrel” in a sector facing staffing challenges.
This comes less than two months after the not-for-profit corporation, which owns and operates Canada’s civic air navigation system, acknowledged it was short about 200 staff, including air traffic controllers (ATC).
The shortage of ATC and other staff last summer led to delays and service disruptions at some of Canada’s busiest airports and are part of a worldwide pattern of shortages stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. NAV Canada maintains that its approximately 200 staffing gap is proportionately smaller than jurisdictions like the U.S. and still continues to this day, according to a press release.
Aviation experts say, regardless of new temporary measures, there will still likely be flight disruptions this summer.
“They know they’re going to be in short supply for the summer, and they’re trying whatever methodology they’re using to kind of fill that gap,” says John Gradek, faculty lecturer in supply networks and aviation management at McGill University. “But the gap still will be there and we’ll still have disruptions in a number of control centres throughout Canada this coming summer.”
May 21: Investigative Series Exposes Corruption at Canadian Airports – CTV News
An Air Canada employee accused in Canada’s largest gold heist had been on police radar for years before millions in gold vanished from Toronto Pearson International Airport.
A W5 investigation has uncovered intelligence reports, court records and data that raise troubling questions about how airport employees with alleged links to organized crime, drug trafficking and violence were able to retain access to restricted areas at Canada’s busiest airport.
Parmpal Sidhu is one of two Air Canada employees accused in the gold heist that saw more than $22 million in gold and foreign currency stolen from a cargo facility at Pearson airport in 2023.
Police sources tell W5 that Sidhu’s name surfaced in three separate airport drug investigations dating back to 2008.
W5 also obtained a sensitive 2012 intelligence document alleging that Sidhu was the leader of an international drug trafficking ring moving large quantities of narcotics through Pearson and infiltrating “legitimate government organizations for the purpose of carrying out their criminal activities.”
W5 could not determine whether the intelligence document was ever shared with Air Canada. But Sidhu kept both his job and his airport security clearance until after the gold heist.
His case is one of several uncovered by W5 involving airport employees who retained access to restricted areas despite serious allegations, criminal investigations or repeated security concerns.
Trucking
May 8: Fleets Are Putting Their Growth and Expansion Plans on Hold Due to Cost and Tariff Pressures – Transport Routier (translated from French)
Fleet leaders across North America are putting their expansion plans on hold in 2026, with half of them planning to maintain fleet size due to economic pressures pushing them to take a stability-first approach.
This change comes as cost control becomes a priority across the industry, with 78% of fleet leaders identifying savings as their top priority this year, according to Element Fleet Management’s latest Market Pulse report.
The report, now in its fifth edition, is based on a survey of fleet industry decision-makers in the United States (55%), Canada (24%) and Mexico (21%).
Tariffs and broader economic uncertainty are forcing carriers to take a more disciplined approach to their operations, delaying rolling stock replacement and extending asset life to preserve capital and improve utilization rates.
May 8: Nuclear Verdicts and Surging Premiums: Insurers Increasingly Demand Use by Truckers of Safety Technology – Commercial Carrier Journal
The trucking industry is facing the dual challenge of skyrocketing nuclear verdicts and surging insurance premiums, prompting industry experts at the ACT Expo in Las Vegas last week to sound the alarm on the need for increased technology adoption and consistent risk management.
Massive payouts have changed the game for fleets and insurers alike. Logan Payne, senior vice president and Director of Global Technology Practice for Lockton Companies, said, “Five years ago, questions about cameras or telematics were just hurdles to clear. Today, it’s a dynamic, real-time conversation. They don’t just want to know if you have the data; they want to know what you are doing with it to coach drivers and improve safety outcomes.”
The issue isn’t usually technology adoption; it’s driver utilization and coaching, said Tim Bauer, vice president of sales and business development for the Global Aftermarket Group at Eaton Mobility.
Bauer noted that drivers often don’t trust solutions if they trigger frequent false alerts. “We need to pull drivers into the solution and listen to their feedback to ensure they actually use the systems,” he said.
“Regarding dash cams: If you don’t have them, plaintiff attorneys will use that against you, claiming you fall below the reasonable standard of care,” said Samsara’s Insurance Partnerships Account Manager Weston Dickson. “If you have them but don’t manage the data, you’re also vulnerable because you knew the risk and didn’t act. The best option is to actively manage the data to change the courtroom narrative from corporate negligence to a fact-specific incident.”
May 12: Some Ontario Private Career Colleges Accrediting Truck Drivers Without Minimum Training, A-G Finds – The Globe and Mail
Some private career colleges in Ontario are accrediting aspiring commercial truck drivers who have not completed the minimum training requirements – in some cases, altering student records to falsify their qualifications, according to a new report from the Auditor-General’s office.
The provincial auditor analyzed the province’s enforcement records and found that some ministry-approved private career colleges could not produce records demonstrating their students had completed the required training components to become a truck driver. It also found some private colleges employed unqualified instructors and instructed students to sign off on training hours that were never delivered.
Auditor-General Shelley Spence’s report, released on May 12, also found significant flaws with Ontario’s testing regime. In some cases, unregistered private career colleges not subject to provincial oversight successfully booked students to complete road tests.
Some training colleges also booked students’ road tests at specific centres where exams involved easier turns and reversal testing, as well as lower-speed-limit highways, pointing to inconsistent testing practices that undermine road safety, the report noted.
May 13: Ontario Transportation Minister Says Province Cracking Down on Truck Training ‘Bad Actors’ – TruckNews.com
Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria says the province has “zero tolerance” for bad actors in the commercial truck driver training sector following a scathing auditor general’s report that identified widespread oversight failures in Ontario’s licensing and training system.
Many of the issues identified in the report have already been addressed, including actions against several career colleges, Sarkaria told The Canadian Press. “I know many of those operators have been shut down,” Sarkaria said. “We have zero tolerance for any of those bad actors.”
Sarkaria acknowledged some of the findings in Auditor General Shelley Spence’s special report on large commercial truck driver licensing were troubling and said the Ministry of Transportation and Ontario’s Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security (MCURES) have been conducting targeted enforcement against schools. He also said Ontario Provincial Police have laid charges in several cases, although no details were provided about the schools involved or the allegations.
The minister pointed to legislative changes introduced last year requiring new drivers to wait six months after obtaining a G licence before applying for a commercial licence. Ontario has also tightened documentation requirements by requiring drivers to present valid work permits at DriveTest centres as part of the licensing process.
May 14: U.S. Supreme Court Rules 9-0 Against Brokers in Montgomery Case – FreightWaves
The so-called safety exception of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act (F4A) includes the freight brokerage industry in its umbrella, the Supreme Court ruled in the closely watched case of Montgomery vs. Caribe Transport II.
The decision of the court was unanimous.
Its immediate impact is that the Supreme Court decision clears up conflicting circuit court cases about whether a 3PL can be sued in state court for damages resulting from a crash involving a carrier the broker hired. With this decision, the circuit conflicts are essentially settled and the question has been answered: Yes, they can.
May 14: Half of Cargo Theft Cases Now Linked to Trusted Carriers – Supply Chain 24/7
Freight fraud is becoming harder for brokers and carriers to spot, and a new report suggests that many of the biggest risks now come from companies that appear legitimate on paper.
According to Highway’s Q1 2026 Freight Fraud Index, roughly half of all cargo theft incidents during the quarter involved carriers with legitimate motor carrier numbers and previously clean operating histories. The report points to a growing shift in how freight fraud is carried out, with criminals increasingly using trusted identities, compromised accounts and social engineering tactics instead of obvious fake operations.
“Fraud has moved from rules to process,” said Michael Grace, Vice President of Customer Risk Management at Highway. “Just because you’ve run a thousand loads with a carrier doesn’t mean the next one is safe. There’s a level of risk that’s happening anytime you hire someone.”
May 15: Driver Inc.: Federal Government Begins Recovering Millions of Dollars in Evaded Taxes – Transport Routier (translated from French)
The deliberate misclassification of employed drivers as independent contractors, better known as the Driver Inc. scheme, costs various levels of government billions of dollars in evaded taxes and social security contributions. However, the situation is changing, said Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment and Families at the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA).
The success of this fight depends on better communication between the various government agencies, and this is starting to pay off. Employment and Social Development Canada, for example, has strengthened its ties with the Canada Revenue Agency, which has issued $7.7 million in tax recoveries since February for cases of misclassification of workers.
“Those who break the rules face real consequences,” said Hajdu, also advocating for a market where healthy competition can take place between carriers.
May 18: Broker Liability Ruling May Be Less Harsh Than Feared – Transport Topics
The Supreme Court opened the door to brokers being liable for negligence in state lawsuits, but it may not be as harsh as some have feared, according to experts.
Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II challenged whether federal law that restricts states from regulating brokerage services protects freight brokers from state lawsuits over negligent hirings. C.H. Robinson was accused of negligently hiring a motor carrier involved in an accident. The case made it to the highest court, with the new ruling May 14 overturning those protections.
“[The] unanimous Montgomery ruling creates adverse ramifications for the brokerage model,” Harrison Bauer, an analyst at Susquehanna International Group, wrote in a report. “However, the concurrence language isn’t as harsh to brokers as the title ruling might suggest.”
“The court did not explicitly state that brokers are automatically liable, which means that plaintiffs will still have to prove ordinary negligence elements under state law, including foreseeability,” wrote Daniel Moore, senior research analyst at Baird. “It must be proven that the broker knew, or should have known, that the carrier ultimately hired posed a safety risk.”
May 21: Canadian Truck Dealers Warn of Looming Supply Crisis over 2027 Emissions Rules – TruckNews.com
Canada’s truck dealers are warning that a regulatory gap tied to upcoming U.S. EPA27 emissions standards could disrupt the supply of new heavy-duty trucks in Canada as early as this summer, with potentially broad consequences for the economy and supply chain.
The Canadian Truck Dealers Association (CTD) said Canada urgently needs regulatory adjustments to ensure U.S.-certified heavy trucks can continue flowing into the Canadian market.
Without a fix, they warned, fleets may be unable to secure new model-year 2027 trucks beginning January 1, 2027, with impacts being felt months sooner because truck manufacturers and fleets are already entering pre-order discussions.
May 27: B.C. Law Coming to Mandate Dashboard Cameras for Commercial Vehicles – TruckNews.com
A private-members bill to mandate dash cameras on all commercial vehicles traveling B.C. highways has passed unanimously through the legislature.
The B.C. Trucking Association (BCTA) endorsed the bill, noting that about 75% of collisions involving a commercial vehicle aren’t the fault of that driver.
The bill will come into force six months after receiving royal assent.
The BCTA took to LinkedIn to share concerns it has on the law.
“BCTA supports road safety, and our Board has previously indicated that members are not opposed to the use of mandatory outward-facing dash cams. However, our position remains clear: this must be done on a national level,” it wrote. “A province-by-province approach risks creating another patchwork of regulations for carriers operating across Canada, adding complexity, inconsistency, and unnecessary interprovincial trade barriers.”
May 30: CTA Calls for Action on ‘Chameleon Carriers’ After Fatal Manitoba Crash – TruckNews.com
The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) is calling for immediate action to close regulatory loopholes that allow so-called “chameleon carriers” to continue operating after losing their safety credentials. The call follows a fatal collision in Brandon, Man., in which a semi-truck driver has been charged with dangerous driving causing death after allegedly running a stop sign at highway speed, killing a 49-year-old woman.
CTA says the carrier involved had its Manitoba safety fitness certificate revoked in 2021, but was later able to obtain operating authority in Alberta and return to the road.
“This chameleon carrier phenomenon allows bad actors to blend back into the industry with zero accountability, functioning as a continuous threat to public safety,” said Stephen Laskowski, president and CEO of the CTA.
CTA says the incident exposes gaps in Canada’s carrier oversight system, where operators can lose credentials in one province and reappear under a new name or jurisdiction elsewhere.
Rail
May 27: CPKC Receives 72-Hour Strike Notice from IBEW – CPKC press release
Canadian Pacific Kansas City said on May 27 that it had received a 72-hour strike notice from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Canadian Signals and Communications System Council No. 11, which represents approximately 300 Signals & Communications employees across Canada.
In case a work stoppage occurs, the company has prepared contingency plans that will allow CPKC to continue safe and efficient railway operations.
The IBEW has said it intends to strike at 08:00 MDT on Sunday, May 31.
CPKC said it is committed to bargaining in good faith with IBEW in order to reach a negotiated outcome. Negotiations will continue into the weekend.
May 27: New U.S. Rail Data Requirement a ‘Win’ for Shippers, Expert Says – Supply Chain Dive
The U.S. Surface Transportation Board issued a final rule requiring Class I railroads to report two new metrics weekly, effective July 8. The rule follows years of shippers calling for improved reporting from railroads.
The two metrics are the original estimated time of arrival, or OETA, and industry spot and pull, or ISP. OETA measures the percentage of shipments in a week delivered within 24 hours of their estimated arrival time. ISP is a carrier’s success rate in loading and unloading goods at a facility when the railroad said it would.
May 28: UP, NS Revised Merger Application Moves Ahead – Supply Chain Dive
The U.S. Surface Transportation Board accepted Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern’s revised merger application that was submitted on April 30, according to the agency. The application for the proposed merger is now up for consideration by the board.
The STB had previously rejected the network merger proposal, filed on December 19, 2025, citing it as incomplete because it missed certain required information under board regulations.
Still, the agency accepted the revised application even though it “does not contain the level of detail on certain issues that the Board would have preferred, particularly given the benefit of Board decisions and stakeholder comments after the original Application,” per a docket file on the recent decision.
Both railroads are directed to submit supplemental details by July 27. Information being asked for by the STB consists of further details on how the proposed merger will result in enhanced competition and additional measures if public benefits claimed in the application don’t come to fruition in a timely matter.
CIFFA Advocacy, Communications, Activities
May 7 and 8: CIFFA Executive Team Holds Town Hall Events in Calgary and Edmonton
On May 7, YYC Calgary Airport and CIFFA held an industry-update luncheon at the Hyatt Place Calgary Airport.
This included a behind-the-scenes look at the airport’s cargo operations, with tours of the Air Canada cargo warehouse pre- and post-luncheon, followed by updates from the airport on its cargo business, and updates from CIFFA on membership, education and advocacy.
On May 8, in Edmonton, a “Night at the Races” event, hosted by YEG Cargo and CIFFA, was held at the Century Mile Racetrack and Casino, featuring presentations, networking and a horse racing experience.
May 12: CIFFA Feedback on Draft 2026–2029 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy
CIFFA has provided feedback on Environment and Climate Change Canada’s draft Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.
CIFFA supports the direction of the draft strategy and the importance of federal leadership on sustainable development. We encourage the Government of Canada to strengthen the final strategy by more clearly addressing the role of customs and logistics providers, including SMEs, supporting practical transition pathways, improving trade corridor resilience, and ensuring that implementation is coordinated and commercially realistic.
May 12: CIFFA Submits Feedback to Government of Canada Proposed Changes to Labour Program
CIFFA submitted a policy document responding to the federal call for feedback to proposed changes to the Labour Program. The government is assessing if updates to Canada’s federal labour policy are needed to support a modern and fair labour relations framework. As part of this process, the Labour Program is engaging stakeholders to gather feedback and perspectives to help inform policy directions.
The feedback will inform the government’s policy approach to strengthening the federal labour relations framework, including enhancing collective bargaining processes and bolstering supports for workers.
May 25 and 26: CIFFA’s Advocacy Days in Ottawa
On May 25 and 26, CIFFA’s Executive Director Bruce Rodgers, Director, Policy and Regulatory Affairs Julia Kuzeljevich, and Government Relations Lead Advisor Ben Martin were in Ottawa for advocacy meetings with various government officials.
On May 25, CIFFA met with CBSA officials, including Cathy Toxopeus, Director General, Commercial Programs Directorate, and Mike Leahy, Director General to discuss updates on border clearance and system outages.
Following that meeting, CIFFA met with the Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree, Parliamentary Secretary to the minister Jacques Ramsay, Senior Policy Advisor to the minister Nina Sartor and CBSA Vice-President, Commercial and Trade Branch Jennifer Lutfallah. Discussion points: CIFFA has been engaged in high-level advocacy on the issue of CBSA system outages and delays. The meeting served to provide an update on the situation around the delays and outages, and to understand how CIFFA can work with both the CBSA and the minister, as well as other trade chain partners, towards fully addressing these issues, and what the “next steps” are to deal with the ongoing, systemic issue of outages and delays.
Next, CIFFA met with the Shadow Minister of International Trade Adam Chambers to introduce the association and discuss trade-related issues.
On May 26, CIFFA had a meeting with Senator Jim Quinn, who is a member of the Transport & Communications committee, to discuss an upcoming report around the Senate labour study (Maintenance of transport services in the case of labour disruptions) and other supply chain initiatives under the current government.
Later in the morning, CIFFA attended a Global Affairs Canada trade briefing with Ricardo del Castillo, Deputy Director, Tariffs and Goods Market Access Division. Del Castillo provided a thorough update into current trade agreements and those in progress.
Midday, CIFFA met with the Minister of Transport Steve MacKinnon and his Senior Policy Advisor Jed Graham.
CIFFA members have continued to highlight concerns to our executive team about the lack of a public-facing national supply chain strategy. We raised this issue while recognizing efforts already underway by the minister of transport, other members of cabinet and the prime minister towards strengthening trade corridors and the supply chain, which we applaud.
Discussion also took place around the recently announced “Strengthening One Canadian Economy through trade and transportation” consultation that CIFFA is pleased to participate in. We look forward to seeing the outcome of this initiative and feel it bodes well for the creation of a public-facing national supply chain strategy. Other points of discussion included the development of a National Trade Single Window initiative, and lack of efficiency at Canadian ports.
In the afternoon, CIFFA presented its feedback on the draft 2026–2029 federal sustainable development strategy to officials from Environment and Climate Change Canada.
CIFFA supports the direction of the draft strategy and the importance of federal leadership on sustainable development, and encourages the Government of Canada to strengthen the final strategy by more clearly addressing the role of customs and logistics providers – including SMEs – supporting practical transition pathways, improving trade corridor resilience and ensuring that implementation is coordinated and commercially realistic.
Lastly, CIFFA met with the ESDC Ministerial Policy Advisory Team, including Sebastian Clarke, Director of Policy – Minister of Jobs and Families (Patty Hajdu).
CIFFA has made several official submissions to various parliamentary and senate committees around topics including labour, working conditions and wage misclassification (Driver Inc.), and the use of Section 107 (which states that the labour minister, where expedient or necessary to secure industrial peace, may refer questions to the CIRB or direct the Board to do things the Minister deems necessary). We have included measures related to skills training in various submissions, as well.
Most recently, CIFFA submitted a consultative paper to ESDC on labour (Building Canada Strong for All – A Framework for Labour Relations), something that builds on the release of CIFFA’s January 2026 whitepaper on labour, “Leveraging Canada’s Labour Advantage – A Team Canada Approach to Labour Relations.”
Submissions to government are available in the Advocacy section of CIFFA’s website.
