VANCOUVER, BC – The federal government has announced amended regulations pertaining to labor-troubled Port Metro Vancouver.

Amendments to the Port Authorities Operations Regulations will now require container trucking companies to have provincial licences to access Port Metro Vancouver.

The amendments were put in place to support the new model for the container trucking industry that was jointly announced by the federal and provincial governments in October.

Minister of Transport Lisa Raitt said the new rules are designed to help the province of British Columbia and Port Metro Vancouver bring “further efficiency and stability to container trucking at Canada’s busiest port.”

Following a series of consultations, Port Metro Vancouver is proceeding with its reform of the Truck Licensing System, while a new provincial Office of the Commissioner of Container Trucking will be responsible for licensing container trucking companies that do business at Port Metro Vancouver.

Port Metro Vancouver is Canada’s largest port and the fourth largest tonnage port in North America.

The port trades $184 billion in goods annually (based on 2013 cargo volumes) with more than 160 trading economies.

The local trucking industry moves approximately 1.3 million twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEUs) per year through Port Metro Vancouver.