Port strike adds to economic uncertainty for business

It’s been far from a smooth process bringing an end to the strike affecting Canada’s Western ports. The “off again on again” strike created a significant disruption to supply lines on the Island and across the country.

The strike has kept $9.9 billion worth of goods from flowing smoothly from the ports to businesses and consumers, according to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade.

“Every day that the strike is going adds to the uncertainty that many businesses are feeling,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “I spoke with a number of chamber members and we are concerned for smaller businesses that don’t have large warehouses to store inventory. Many of these businesses rely on efficient shipping to get specialty foods, parts or items based on current demand. It’s also a stressful time for businesses that rely on the ports for exports. Hopefully the backlog caused by the strike will clear up as soon as possible.”