BRITISH COLUMBIA CANADA
GLOBAL
ACCESS
Reach key markets from British Columbia
Strategically located on Canada’s west coast, British Columbia lies at the commercial
crossroads of the Asia-Pacific region and North America. Whether you need to ship
products, move information, or travel to leading global markets, take advantage of our
robust transportation and communication systems to ensure cost-effective connections.
ACCESS THE NORTH AMERICAN MARKET DUTY-FREE
International companies with operations in British Columbia enjoy duty-free access to the
world’s largest marketplace thanks to the North American Free Trade Agreement. The rules
of origin provisions in the agreement ensure secure market access for exported goods and
services, and the agreement provides for a fair, equitable dispute resolution mechanism.
TRAVEL AND DISTRIBUTE FREIGHT QUICKLY BY AIR
» S ix of British Columbia’s 38 certified airports provide international services for passengers
and/or freight: Abbotsford, Cranbrook, Kelowna, Prince George, Vancouver, and Victoria.
» T he Prince George Airport has the third-longest commercial runway in Canada.
Strategically located on trans-Pacific flight paths, it is a convenient refuelling and
handling option for wide-body cargo carriers travelling between North America
and Asia.
» V ancouver International Airport (YVR) YVR is Canada’s second-largest airport and the
country’s busiest gateway to Asia.
∙ More than 17 million passengers travelled through YVR in 2012 and 68
passenger airlines regularly fly into the airport.
∙ YVR services 120 destinations, with 80 daily flights to the U.S.
∙ T he airport is a growing freight distribution hub and
is served by seven of the top 10 air cargo carriers.
10:00
∙ Condé Nast Traveller named YVR among its top 10
HONG KONG
9:00
11:00
12:00
favourite airports in the world.
∙ In 2013, YVR won the Skytrax Best North American Airport
9:00
8:00
5:00
5:00
MONTREAL
TORONTO
NEW YORK
award for the fourth year in a row. It was ranked 8th overall
worldwide, and was the only airport in North America to be
included in the top 10.
6:00
VANCOUVER
2:00
3:00
SAN FRANCISCO
LOS ANGELES
Flight times from
Vancouver International
Airport
www.britishcolumbia.ca
TRANSPORT GOODS COST-EFFECTIVELY BY ROAD AND RAIL
Integrated surface transportation systems ensure cost-effective service to U.S. and
Canadian markets via truck and rail.
» A n extensive all-weather highway network makes transporting goods and services to
North America’s markets seamless and reliable.
» B oth the Canadian and U.S. governments have recently invested in upgrading border
customs capacity to more quickly and efficiently clear freight.
» T he vast majority of trade between British Columbia and the United States is by truck.
Transit time to move freight from Vancouver to the San Francisco Bay Area by truck is
24 hours.
British Columbia is the only gateway on the west coast of the Americas served by three
continental Class 1 railways, connecting ports on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts to
key markets throughout Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SHORTEST SEA ROUTE TO ASIA
The ports of Vancouver, Kitimat, Stewart and Prince Rupert are the closest ports of entry
for Asia on the west coast of North America. These ports are ice-free year-round.
Port Metro Vancouver is Canada’s largest and most diversified port, trading $75 billion
in goods annually. It has 28 major marine terminals to service international shipping
companies. The port has Super Post-Panamax crane capacity and extensive on-dock rail
facilities. Freight transit time via rail from Vancouver to Chicago is four days.
The Port of Prince Rupert is the closest North American bulk and container facility to
Asia. It boasts Canada’s most advanced coal terminal, North America’s fastest-growing
container terminal and efficient intermodal connections to markets across the continent.
THE SHORTEST
SEA ROUTE FROM
NORTH AMERICA
TO ASIA
Prince Rupert
Vancouver
Oakland
Los Angeles
11.19 days
12 days
12.6 days
13.2 days
Shanghai
9.9 days
10.6 days
11.3 days
11.9 days
Yokohama
7.92 days
8.92 days
9.46 days
10.08 days
Pusan
9.5 days
9.7 days
10.4 days
11 days
Chennai
17.1 days
18 days
18.6 days
19.3 days
Hong Kong
* Estimated based on vessel speed of 20 knots
BENEFIT FROM DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY
British Columbia has the highest rate of broadband and overall Internet connectivity
in Canada. An advanced communications infrastructure also provides telephone,
broadcasting, cable, wireless, and other information services at competitive rates.
» A n extensive fibre optic network spans British Columbia, enabling easy Internet access.
» B roadband connectivity is available in most communities, giving 92 per cent of
British Columbians access to Internet services.
» A dvanced mobile networks provide next-generation wireless service including
international roaming and broadband Internet.
» H igh-performance networks are available at all of the province’s research and
educational institutions, enabling innovation, collaboration, and technological
advancement.
EXTEND YOUR GLOBAL REACH AT THE CROSSROADS OF
THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION AND NORTH AMERICA.
www.britishcolumbia.ca