VANCOUVER — Claude Mongeau, president and chief executive officer of CN, said market-based innovation and greater supply chain collaboration are the keys to making Canada the most productive and efficient Asian gateway on the Pacific coast.
Mongeau, speaking to the Pacific Gateway Forum 2010 at the Vancouver Board of Trade, said global trade is key to Canada’s prosperity and that Port Metro Vancouver is of vital importance to the nation’s international trade flows, handling commerce from more than 130 nations. In particular, the port is a critical player in the movement of Canada’s significant stores of natural resources, including major volumes of coal, grain and potash, as well as two-way container traffic with Asia.
Canada’s Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative has been an important factor in this success. CN has strongly supported the initiative through significant investments in infrastructure.
Mongeau said: “To date, CN has invested roughly C$600 million in projects that specifically relate to the Asia-Pacific Gateway Corridor – everything from terminals and equipment, to sidings and signals.”
He noted, however, that investment is not enough. “We need innovation and collaboration throughout the supply chain. That is the journey CN is on.”
