Good morning! This is Queen Street Analytics' weekly roundup of regulatory developments, legislative discussions, political announcements and other government-related news concerning trucking, rail, and shipping, ports, cargo terminals, international and interprovincial logistics. Every Monday, we break down the most important updates in this space in under five minutes.

Want to track the upstream and downstream forces affecting Freight & Ports? Don’t miss this week’s updates in Aviation and Oil & Gas.

Dates: 2025-12-07 to 2025-12-13

📋 In This Week's Newsletter

• 🏛️ This Week's Parliamentary Calendar
• 🇨🇦 Canadian Federal Government News
• 🗺️ Canadian Provincial Government News
• 💬 Government Consultations
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week

This Week's Parliamentary Calendar

• Senate Transport and Communications Committee—High-Speed Rail Network Act (Bill C-15): Scheduled meeting held December 9 with witnesses from Transport Canada, Alto, Impact Assessment Agency, and Public Service and Procurement Canada, focusing on rail infrastructure funding and land acquisition.
• Senate Transport and Communications Committee—Further Study on High-Speed Rail Environmental and Economic Impact: Meeting held December 10 included stakeholders from Assembly of First Nations, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, small business, and agriculture sectors regarding route impacts and assessment procedures.
• Senate Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee—Review of Canadian Energy Regulator Act (Bill C-15) LNG Export Licenses: On December 11, senators received testimony from Natural Resources Canada and the CER on licensing terms for LNG facility exports, net-surplus testing, and environmental assessment frameworks.

Canadian Federal Government News

CBSA Serves $36.9 Million Penalty for Undeclared Exported Vehicles

Canada Border Services Agency levied a $36.9 million penalty against an Ontario business owner for failing to declare more than 2,300 used vehicles exported primarily to West Africa. The investigation, led by CBSA's Criminal Investigations Section in Halifax since 2021, involved extensive data analysis of approximately 750,000 records and covered significant search and seizure operations in London, Ontario. The business was charged under section 95 of the Customs Act following ascertained forfeiture procedures. This action required full payment equivalent to the total vehicle value. The investigation received support and intelligence sharing from FINTRAC, US border agencies, Canadian prosecution, and local police. The penalty addresses risks of fraud and financial crime within cross-border supply chains relevant to vehicle and goods transport sectors.

Sources: www.canada.ca

CBSA Publishes 2025 Border Security and Trade Enforcement Results

CBSA reported annual results across border security, trade enforcement, and commercial facilitation for January to October 2025. The agency intercepted 30,791 kg of illegal drugs, seized over 13,500 weapons (including 740 firearms), and prevented export of 1,327 stolen vehicles. More than $40 billion in duties and taxes were collected across 4.3 million commercial truck examinations, supporting critical industry supply chain activities. Notable figures include a 12% decrease in total traveller volume, expanded enforcement staff with an additional 1,000 officers, and continued actions under the Special Import Measures Act with $187.5 million in anti-dumping and countervailing duties assessed. CBSA also managed removal processes for nearly 19,000 inadmissible persons in 2025.

Sources: www.canada.ca

CBSA Reports British Columbia and Yukon Border Enforcement and Trade Facilitation Performance

CBSA described operational outcomes in British Columbia and Yukon for 2025, including seizure of 10,428 instances of illegal narcotics, 2,344 firearms and related prohibited items, $5.8 million in suspected proceeds of crime, and 185 stolen vehicles. The region processed 477,619 commercial trucks, 1,167,817 marine containers, and 31 million courier shipments while assessing duties and taxes across billions in imported value for trusted traders. Notable operational incidents involved significant drug seizures at ports, firearms-related investigations resulting in criminal charges, and marine border enforcement actions targeting non-compliant vessel reporting.

Sources: www.canada.ca

CBSA Summarizes Ontario and Nunavut Border Operations and Enforcement

Across Ontario, CBSA intercepted large volumes of contraband: 13,332 kg of cocaine, 905 kg of methamphetamine, thousands of cannabis and tobacco disclosures, and nearly 1,028 firearms-related seizures. The Specialized Border Interdiction Unit in Toronto collaborated internationally on narcotics cases, while regional teams worked on interdicting illegal shipments, fraud, and counterfeit goods. CBSA marine units seized 23 vessels for reporting violations and issued related fines in the St. Lawrence district. The operational focus extended to commercial truck traffic, mail and courier examinations, and inland removals.

Sources: www.canada.ca

CBSA Outlines Atlantic Canada Border Security Achievements

Operations in Atlantic Canada led to substantial cannabis, opiate, and weapons seizures at ports and marine locations, including Saint John and Halifax. Officers processed more than 115,046 commercial trucks and 61,222 marine containers in New Brunswick, and responded to numerous air diversions and vessel entry events in Newfoundland and Labrador. The opening of Africville Seasides Marine Container Examination Facility has expanded container and cargo screening capacity at Halifax, increasing capabilities for contraband interdiction and vehicle theft prevention.

Sources: www.canada.ca

CBSA Manitoba and Northwest Territories—Border Enforcement and Tax Assessments

CBSA reported 341 narcotic seizures, 55 firearms-related seizures, and $394,722 in currency seizures within Manitoba for 2025, alongside 214,548 commercial truck inspections and 2.6 million courier shipments. Notable criminal investigations included firearms import cases and employment fraud at construction sites, resulting in convictions and significant fines. The agency conducted food import duty reassessments and issued administrative monetary penalties for regulatory violations in agriculture. CBSA extended operational coverage to critical North communities and managed marine and air border points in the region.

Sources: www.canada.ca

Canadian Coast Guard Wraps 2025 Arctic Operational Summer Season

The Canadian Coast Guard deployed seven icebreakers for northern community resupply, marine safety, and incident response throughout the summer season ending November 2025. Specialized buoy tenders maintained navigation on Great Slave Lake and the Mackenzie River, supporting key transportation corridors for economic activity. Joint operations, including Operation NANOOK-NUNAKPUT and NANOOK-TUUGAALIK, focused on expanding Arctic maritime surveillance and security. Facilities and headquarters maintain year-round presence across the Arctic, facilitating emergency response, pollution reporting, and critical infrastructure oversight.

Sources: www.canada.ca

CanNor Announces Funding for Western Arctic Marine Training Centre Expansion

Minister Rebecca Alty, acting on behalf of Minister Rebecca Chartrand, confirmed CanNor's $930,000 contribution to the Western Arctic Marine Training Centre to expand simulator capacity and add Transport Canada-certified courses. The investment enables regional training opportunities across the territories, supporting marine transport and certification without lengthy travel and bolstering local workforce development for the sector.

Sources: www.canada.ca

Canadian International Trade Tribunal—Reasonable Indication of Injury from Dumped Tableware Imports

On December 12, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal determined that dumping and subsidizing of thermoformed molded fibre tableware from China has caused or threatens injury to Canada's domestic industry. The determination results in continued CBSA investigations, with preliminary findings due by January 13, 2026, pursuant to the Special Import Measures Act. The Tribunal provides economic and trade-related advice to Parliament, reviewing industrial product dumping complaints relevant to trade enforcement.

Sources: www.canada.ca

Canadian Provincial Government News

Ontario Company Fined $70,000 Following Workplace Injury

National Logistics Services (2006) Inc. was fined $70,000 for safety violations in a Brampton freight facility after a critical forklift collision in August 2023. The incident led to a Ministry of Labour investigation and court conviction.

Sources: news.ontario.ca

Manitoba Government Increases Funding to CentrePort Canada

Manitoba awarded a $450,000 one-time grant to CentrePort Canada Inc., supporting development in North America's largest trimodal inland port. Functional design studies for road network improvements are underway to enhance port access by fall 2026.

Sources: news.gov.mb.ca

Nova Scotia Seeks Solutions for Halifax Peninsula Freight and Traffic Congestion

Nova Scotia and Halifax Regional Municipality issued a request for proposals to analyze core traffic corridors, model travel demand, and develop strategies to increase the efficiency of heavy truck access to Halifax Port Authority facilities.

Sources: news.novascotia.ca

Saskatchewan Reports Wholesale Trade Growth for October 2025

Saskatchewan registered a 12% increase in wholesale trade from October 2024 to October 2025, totaling $4 billion, with private capital investment up 17.3% to $14.7 billion—ranking first among provinces.

Sources: www.saskatchewan.ca

Alberta Issues Road Delay Notice for Super-Heavy Industrial Freight Move

Alberta announced travel delays for the westbound movement of a large acetylene hydrogenation reactor, commencing December 9 from Lloydminster to Fort Saskatchewan at speeds up to 60 km/h, using guide vehicles and specialized multi-axle trailers.

Sources: www.alberta.ca

Government Consultations

Consultation on Commercial Market Factors in Interswitching Rate Determination

The Canadian Transportation Agency started a consultation inviting railways and shipper organizations to comment on market factors affecting regulated interswitching rates. Submissions are open until April 2026.

Sources: otc-cta.gc.ca

What We're Reading This Week

• Securing Arctic sovereignty: Article reviews developments in Canada's approach to Arctic maritime security and economic interests.
• Tariffs putting brakes on Manitoba trucking hires: Manitoba trucking companies report labor market and hiring challenges linked to shifting tariff policies.
• A major strike in Portugal severely disrupts travel and services: The nationwide strike impacts passenger and freight logistics in Portugal.
• N.S. woman faces shipping delays trying to send care package to daughter in Missouri: Individual difficulties with parcel delivery highlight broader issues in cross-border air freight and postal logistics.
• Global News Morning Halifax: Segment reviews Atlantic Canada ports' potential as hubs for offshore wind freight and maritime project development.

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