The integration of cold storage, ocean terminal operations, and rail connectivity at a single location marks a strategic shift for perishable supply chains in eastern Canada, reducing handling steps and transit times. Americold Realty Trust (NYSE: COLD) has opened an import-export hub at Port Saint John in New Brunswick, Canada, developed with DP World and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (NYSE: CP), according to a FreightWaves report.
What Happened and Why
The facility is the first of its kind to combine Americold's cold storage, DP World's maritime logistics, and CPKC's rail network in one site. According to Americold, this creates a more direct and reliable pathway for moving perishable goods between inland production regions and international markets. The hub supports flows between central and eastern Canada and Europe, South America, and the Asia-Pacific region. Americold says it is the only temperature-controlled storage solution in eastern Canada directly connected to a port without drayage, reducing cost and transport time between vessel and warehouse.
Quantified Impact
The facility has capacity of approximately 22,000 pallet positions and is designed for high-throughput import and export volumes with more efficient handling across transportation modes. By eliminating drayage between the port and warehouse, customers reduce both cost and transit time, though specific figures were not disclosed. The direct rail connection via CPKC's three-nation network links Atlantic Canada to key markets across Canada and North America, as noted by CPKC President and CEO Keith Creel.
| Service Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Pallet capacity | ~22,000 positions |
| Direct port access | Yes, no drayage |
| Ocean services | Weekly Saint John call by Hapag-Lloyd (Mediterranean); Gemini Cooperation AL1 (trans-Atlantic); AL3 (starting Jan 2026) |
| Rail connectivity | CPKC three-nation network + NBM Railways |
| Partners | Americold, DP World, CPKC, J.D. Irving's NBM Railways |
Industry Response
Rob Chambers, CEO of Americold, said in a release: "This facility leverages our collaboration with leading global trade and transportation partners, creating a uniquely integrated solution to move temperature-sensitive products between inland production regions and international markets more efficiently and reliably." Keith Creel called the opening "an important milestone in CPKC's growing collaboration with Americold," adding that "by combining this state-of-the-art facility with CPKC's three-nation rail service, we are creating a new temperature-controlled supply chain that connects Atlantic Canada to key markets across Canada and throughout North America." Doug Smith, CEO of DP World in Canada, stated that "by coordinating these capabilities, we enable customers to move perishable goods through the port with greater consistency and efficiency as they connect to global markets." Craig Bell Estabrooks, President and CEO of Port Saint John, said: "Americold is a tremendous addition to Port Saint John and to the broader trade ecosystem taking shape at our gateway."
"This facility leverages our collaboration with leading global trade and transportation partners, creating a uniquely integrated solution to move temperature-sensitive products between inland production regions and international markets more efficiently and reliably." — Rob Chambers, CEO, Americold
Forward Outlook
The hub is poised to serve German container line Hapag-Lloyd's weekly Saint John call on its Mediterranean service, as well as the Gemini Cooperation (Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk) trans-Atlantic AL1 service and the upcoming AL3 service starting in January 2026. The partnership aims to strengthen trade diversification for New Brunswick and beyond, according to Port Saint John's CEO. For procurement teams and supply chain leaders managing perishable imports or exports, the facility offers a direct, multi-modal channel that reduces complexity and handling risk, though actual cost-per-unit savings and transit time reductions will depend on specific lanes and volumes.
Sources:
