Canada’s transport minister says she is “dismayed” BC Ferries contracted a Chinese state-owned shipyard to build four new vessels in the current geopolitical context that includes “unjustified” tariffs on Canada.
Chrystia Freeland, in a letter to her B.C. counterpart Mike Farnworth, said she expects BC Ferries to inform her of all measures it plans to take to “mitigate any security risks,” including cybersecurity problems that might arise.
BC Ferries announced this month it had contracted China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards to build four new major vessels, following a five-year procurement process that did not include a Canadian bid.
In her letter, Freeland said she was surprised BC Ferries does not have a mandate for an “appropriate level” of Canadian procurement, given the value of the contract, although the dollar figure hasn’t been made public….