Federal support for steel transportation expands to marine shipping
- Aug 10
- 2 min read
[ News release] A decision that strengthens industrial competitiveness and the resilience of the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence corridor
Québec, August 10 2026 - St. Lawrence Shipowners welcomes the Government of Canada’s decision to expand the support measure for the interprovincial transportation of Canadian steel to marine shipping. This decision recognizes the essential role of marine transportation in moving industrial volumes and ensures greater fairness across transportation modes.
Under the Commodity Sectors Support Program, a $100-million initiative, shippers can, as of August 10, 2026, receive reimbursement for 50% of eligible costs for the interprovincial marine transportation of non-containerized Canadian steel products. The program will end in summer 2027 or once the funding has been fully allocated.
This inclusion will provide steel producers, processors and users with an additional logistics option for accessing Canadian markets. It will help improve supply-chain fluidity, strengthen the competitiveness of Canadian steel and better connect industrial hubs with port infrastructure along the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence corridor.
“Shipowners welcome this announcement and its positive impact on our members. By fully including marine transportation in this measure, the Government of Canada is recognizing its strategic role in the Canadian economy and supply chains. We commend Minister Steven MacKinnon for his openness and leadership.” — Saul Polo, President and CEO, St. Lawrence Shipowners
Marine transportation has significant capacity to move industrial goods. Its full inclusion in this measure will support better use of existing vessels, terminals and port infrastructure while helping to ease pressure on land-based infrastructure.
For regions served by the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes, this decision supports economic activity related to navigation, cargo handling and processing. It also represents a concrete step toward fairer, more integrated and truly multimodal transportation policies.
