Prince Rupert Opens $750 Million CANXPORT Hub to Boost Canadian Exports to Asia

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The Port of Prince Rupert has opened the C$750 million CANXPORT logistics hub on Ridley Island, adding 400,000 TEU of annual rail-to-container transloading capacity and strengthening Western Canada’s ability to move agricultural, forestry, petrochemical and other commodities into overseas markets.

The facility, operated by Ray-Mont Logistics, officially opened on August 28 following a ceremony a day earlier attended by representatives of the Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA), Canadian National Railway (CN), Indigenous Nations and government.

CANXPORT represents the first major facility to enter service under a wider C$3 billion development programme at Prince Rupert, which aims to expand and diversify the Pacific gateway.

The project also changes the balance of Prince Rupert’s container business. The port has traditionally played a major role in moving Asian imports into North America. CANXPORT is designed to use that same container and rail network in the opposite direction, transferring Canadian commodities arriving by rail into containers for export.

The initial facility can handle up to 400,000 TEU annually. The site has been designed with the potential to expand capacity to 750,000 TEU for bulk and breakbulk commodities.

Empty Containers Become Export Capacity

One of the main opportunities is the large number of empty containers currently returning from Prince Rupert to Asia.

Kurt Slocombe, president and CEO of the Prince Rupert Port Authority, said more than half of the containers heading back across the Pacific currently leave without Canadian cargo.

The port estimates that CANXPORT could help fill between 50% and 65% of returning containers with Canadian exports. The calculation is not simply a matter of filling every available box, however, because many Canadian commodities are considerably heavier than the consumer goods arriving from Asia.

The facility will initially handle products including petrochemical resins and agricultural commodities, with pulp expected to be added to the cargo mix. The wider CANXPORT platform is designed to support forestry, agriculture, petrochemicals and mining products.

At full development, the facility could handle approximately six million tonnes of cargo annually.

Containerisation also offers exporters an alternative to traditional bulk shipping. Instead of accumulating enough cargo to charter or fill a bulk vessel, producers can move smaller quantities through established liner networks, potentially giving them access to a wider range of overseas destinations and more frequent sailings.

China, South Korea and Japan are among the markets being targeted for additional Canadian exports through Prince Rupert.

Rail Investment Supports CANXPORT Growth

Rail capacity is central to the project because CANXPORT is designed around direct transfers of Western Canadian commodities arriving by train.

CN has invested in infrastructure supporting the Prince Rupert corridor, including expansion of the Zanardi Rapids Bridge. The railway said the investment increases corridor capacity and strengthens the port’s intermodal network.

The federal government has also supported the development. Transport Canada said almost C$50 million was provided through the National Trade Corridors Fund for infrastructure associated with CANXPORT.

That work included expansion of road and rail infrastructure supporting three inbound and three outbound tracks dedicated to export transloading.

The 108-acre development on the southern end of Ridley Island also includes an off-dock container yard and infrastructure capable of supporting large-scale bulk and breakbulk transloading.

CANXPORT sits close to Prince Rupert’s Fairview Container Terminal, allowing export cargo transferred into containers to connect with established transpacific liner services.

The additional export capacity comes as cargo volumes at Prince Rupert continue to recover and expand. The port handled 26.3 million tonnes in 2025, up 14% from 2024, while container throughput was close to 900,000 TEU.

Indigenous Partners Take Role in Development

Indigenous participation formed a significant part of the CANXPORT development.

PRPA awarded the main site development contract to a joint venture involving the Metlakatla First Nation, Lax Kw’alaams Band, Gitxaała Nation and IDL Projects.

Metlakatla and Lax Kw’alaams are also majority owners of Gat Leedm Logistics, which provides truck drayage services at the Prince Rupert gateway.

Robert Nelson, Chief of Metlakatla First Nation, said the project demonstrated how Indigenous Nations could participate directly in large-scale economic development rather than remaining outside major infrastructure investments.

The development comes as Canada places greater emphasis on diversifying international trade beyond the United States. Prince Rupert’s location on the Pacific and its direct rail connections with Western Canadian production centres make the gateway an important part of that strategy.

CANXPORT is one component of a broader investment programme intended to increase Prince Rupert’s overall cargo capacity. Other projects include new energy-export infrastructure and further development of the port’s container and bulk-handling network.

The port handled C$8.1 billion of Canadian exports in 2025 and supports approximately 7,940 full-time jobs across British Columbia, representing around C$690 million in annual wages and C$1.5 billion in Canadian GDP.