The old business adage location...location...location perhaps best describes the strategic position of the Port of Belledune for accessing vast North American markets, European markets, and points around the globe. Its location offers multi-fold advantages to shipping companies, especially when competitive rates and short wait times for berths are factored in. Built on a protected bay feeding into the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Port of Belledune is a world class deep water facility with exceptional year round cargo handling capacity In terms of a global position, it is located on Chaleur Bay in northeastern New Brunswick, Canada. It lies on approximately the same line of latitude as Nantes, France, and the same longitudinal line as the UK Virgin Islands. Its position allows it to offer some of the shortest shipping routes between points in Europe and North America. To the southwest lie Montreal, Quebec City, and Toronto; the New England states of the USA can be found to its south-southwest. The closest Canada-USA border is only 200 kilometres from the port while Quebec lies 30 kilometres to the north. Not only does the port connect to strategic shipping routes, it is also an intermodal gateway with a rail spur and direct congestion-free access to a highway system spanning North America. In terms of accessing key markets in Canada and north-eastern USA, the advantages are clear. The Port of Belledune is as much as one day less at sea between numerous points in Europe and North America than its competitors and because it is set close to trans-continental rail and road systems, cargo can be at its final destination sooner than by most other routes.
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