In the North American context, “shortsea shipping” refers to a multi-modal concept involving the marine transportation of passengers and goods that does not cross oceans and takes place within and among Canada, the United States and Mexico. 

Moving forward to enhance shortsea shipping in Canada is founded on the premise that the integration of shortsea shipping in the national transportation system can benefit quality of life, the environment and the economy:

• Transport Canada will act a catalyst for the development of a nationally integrated approach to shortsea shipping by liaising with federal departments and provincial counterparts and through collaboration with industry.
• Transport Canada will continue to work with our North American shortsea shipping partners to build upon the existing Memorandum of Cooperation between Canada, the United States and Mexico.
• Transport Canada will continue work in concert with others to enhance shortsea shipping knowledge in the key areas of policy, markets, trade, urban transportation, technology and sustainability.

Transport Canada’s ultimate vision is to help realize the benefits that shortsea transport offers to Canadians, to the shippers of goods and to the various elements of Canada’s transportation system, and to do so while respecting the realities of the competitive marketplace.