Building a Future-Ready Trade Infrastructure Network
"With global markets shifting and an increasingly volatile global climate, Canada's trade infrastructure stands at a critical juncture," said Susan Black, Chief Executive Officer of The Conference Board of Canada. "Addressing today's challenges requires a strategic, systems-level approach that aligns regional objectives and lays the foundation for sustained global competitiveness."
Canada's trade performance has been falling for decades. From 2004 to 2024, volumes of energy and services exports grew by 75 per cent and 90 per cent respectively, while volumes of goods exports rose by a comparatively weak 7 per cent. Our infrastructure investments have not kept pace with the evolving demands of an increasingly complex global trade environment.
"Canada has an opportunity to redefine its trade corridors and build an infrastructure network that is both resilient and future-oriented," said Babatunde Olateju, Director of Sustainability at The Conference Board of Canada. "However, this will not be achieved through standalone, isolated projects - it calls for coordinated efforts and a shared vision that accounts for both federal and provincial-territorial priorities."
Diversification will be central to Canada's forward-looking vision. While the United States remains Canada's largest trading partner, opportunities in Europe and Asia are emerging and require infrastructure investment to facilitate new trade corridors and new product markets in areas such as critical minerals and hydrogen.
Already, collaborative efforts between governments and private industry are advancing transformative projects. Not only are these partnerships crucial for deploying new technologies, but also for generating trade infrastructure projects within broader developmental strategies.
To fully unlock the benefits of these efforts, Canada must also broaden its focus beyond the primary trade network. While considerable focus has been directed toward building capacity at major ports (e.g. the Port of Vancouver) and the mainline rail network, secondary regional infrastructure remains overlooked. Tapping into these systems could enhance the efficiency and resilience of trade networks.
Canada has several examples, at various stages of readiness, of trade infrastructure projects that advance federal and provincial–territorial strategic objectives in trade and trade infrastructure. These transformative trade infrastructure projects exemplify the long-term vision for the future of the trade network.
With seismic shifts in the economic and geopolitical landscape, Canada should adopt a mission-critical approach to trade diversification and infrastructure deployment. However, pace should be balanced with prudence. Meaningful consultations with Indigenous rights holders and other communities will be indispensable to our success.
Overall, for Canada to seize trade opportunities in the coming years, it must embrace a unified, future-oriented vision. Aligning federal and provincial efforts, while deepening public-private partnerships, will be essential to developing a trade network that is well-equipped to meet the demands of today and tomorrow.
About The Conference Board of Canada
The Conference Board of Canada is the country's leading independent research organization. Since 1954, The Conference Board of Canada has been providing research that supports evidence-based decision making to solve Canada's toughest problems. Follow The Conference Board of Canada on Twitter @ConfBoardofCda.
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