Port Saint John partners looking to diversity imports

Port Saint John is looking to diversify its imports along the waterfront.

You may soon see more then just shipping containers being unloaded at Port Saint John.

DP World, who operates the six container cranes along the city’s waterfront, confirmed to CTV in an email they are exploring the possibility of adding car imports to Saint John operations. The logistics company aims to launch a trial shipment of imported vehicles into Port Saint John within the next 90 days.

The topic came up last week during Port Days 2025, an annual event held by the port to share its direction with key stakeholders.

“Adding automotive imports would diversify DP World’s Canadian cargo base, strengthen its presence in the Atlantic market, and enhance Port Saint John’s role as a multipurpose port,” DP World said in an email to CTV News.

Importing cars is logistically complex, according to DP World, requiring specialized port infrastructure, yard space, and customs procedures. In addition, every vehicle must clear regulatory checks like emissions, safety and VIN documentation.

The company has engaged the International Longshoremen’s Association Local 273 about a Roll-On/Roll-Off (RORO) cargo method opportunity, where vehicles are driven on and off ships using built-in ramps.

According to the company, the method is more efficient, which reduces time at berth, and ideal for high-volume, wheeled cargo. It’s also dependent on specialized ramps, yards, and customs handling.

Diverse operations

Port President and C.E.O. Craig Bell Estabrooks says DP World and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) Railway want to diversify their operations.

“We built this infrastructure years ago to be multipurpose,” Bell Estabrooks says. “So yes, containers are our focus. They’re going to continue to be the main focus, but if we could move some other commodities with DP world and other partners like autos, that’s a real opportunity.”

Bell Estabrooks says DP World would likely start small when it comes to moving automobiles to see how manageable it is and what the business model would look like before making a full commitment. CTV has reached out to DP World for more information about the prospect of bringing car imports to the city and are awaiting their response.

Estabrooks said it’s not just car imports that could be added to the port’s growing capabilities.

“The other big one is around breakbulk,” says Bell Estabrooks. “Importing Brazilian eucalyptus and from a wood pulp standpoint, that can be blended with existing forest products in New Brunswick and potentially even further than just New Brunswick.”

Opportunity for growth

Despite a busy start to the year, including the addition of two container cranes and breaking ground for a new cold storage unit to be run by Americold, Bell Estabrooks says there is still a lot on the port’s agenda. Continued rail upgrades top the list.

Bell Estabrooks says he would like to double, if not triple the tracks out of the port to Bayshore where there is a switching facility. He says Americold’s addition to the waterfront has spurred conversation around food processing and refrigerated goods.

“I think food is one of the big opportunities for us,” he says.

Estabrooks says there is not a lot of space available on port property but there is still plenty of opportunity for growth. He says DP World added more equipment to its arsenal to help load and unload ships faster and improve the flow of goods through the terminals.

“We’re dreaming much bigger than we did a decade ago,” says Estabrooks. “It’s really because of what our partners are telling us. So we always look at the port as we provide really good infrastructure. We provide really good services and operational model with the employees that we have and then we just let the private sector do the development.”

Estabrooks says the port hasn’t processed hundreds of thousands of tons of breakbulk in the way they are proposing since the late 1990s and there is potential in the energy sector. He says meeting two or three of them in place would be a tremendous success.

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