Canada has 375 ports and terminals indexed in the Ecer Freight database, supporting Atlantic, Pacific, Great Lakes and inland waterway supply chains.
Compare Canadian port codes, regional cargo roles, indicative throughput and practical sea-freight routing considerations.
Canada’s maritime network connects Pacific gateways with Asia, Atlantic gateways with Europe and the Mediterranean, and Great Lakes–St. Lawrence ports with North American inland markets. Indexed coverage includes seaports, lake ports, river facilities and logistics locations, so the Ecer Freight database count is not a container-port league-table count.
How many seaports does Canada have?
Canada has 375 seaports and terminals indexed by Ecer Freight in its Nov 2026 database snapshot. This indexed-coverage figure includes maritime, lake, river and terminal records and is separate from official port-authority counts.
Which are Canada’s largest container gateways?
Vancouver (CAVAN), Montreal (CAMTL), Prince Rupert (CAPRR) and Halifax (CAHFX) are the principal container gateways represented in the Canada sample. Vancouver is the leading Pacific gateway, while Montreal is a major St. Lawrence gateway.
Which regions handle the main Canadian cargo flows?
The Pacific region is led by Vancouver and Prince Rupert; the St. Lawrence corridor by Montreal and Quebec; the Great Lakes by Toronto and Hamilton; and the Atlantic region by Halifax and Saint John.
The table combines indicative global container-port positioning with publicly reported port-authority throughput. Rankings can vary by methodology, reporting year and whether transshipment is included; figures should be confirmed for a live quotation.
Indicative Canada container-port league table, 2025 planning view
| World rank | Port | UN-LOCODE | 2025 throughput (M TEU) | YoY change | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | Vancouver | CAVAN | 3.65 | +5.6% | Pacific |
| 70 | Montreal | CAMTL | 1.95 | +2.6% | St. Lawrence |
| 91 | Prince Rupert | CAPRR | 1.35 | −4.0% | Pacific |
| 111 | Halifax | CAHFX | 0.66 | +3.1% | Atlantic |
| — | Toronto | CATOR | — | — | Great Lakes |
| — | Hamilton Ca | CAHAM | — | — | Great Lakes |
| — | Quebec | CAQUE | — | — | St. Lawrence |
| — | Saint John | CASNJ | — | — | Atlantic |
Pacific ports provide the shortest Canadian maritime access to many Asian trade lanes and connect with western Canadian rail and distribution networks.
Pacific ports in the indexed sample
| Port | UN-LOCODE | City / Province | Main cargo role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | CAVAN | Vancouver | Containerized cargo, bulk commodities and project freight |
| Prince Rupert | CAPRR | Prince Rupert | Containers, forest products, grain and bulk cargo |
| Nanaimo | CANNO | Nanaimo | Breakbulk, forest products and regional cargo |
| Victoria | CAVIC | Victoria | Regional marine supply and general cargo |
The St. Lawrence system serves Quebec and central Canadian markets, with strong links to Europe, the Mediterranean and inland distribution points.
St. Lawrence ports in the indexed sample
| Port | UN-LOCODE | City / Province | Main cargo role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal | CAMTL | Montreal | Containers, general cargo and inland intermodal freight |
| Montreal | CAMTR | Montreal | City-level and facility-level cargo records |
| Quebec | CAQUE | Quebec | Bulk, project cargo and general freight |
| Pointe Noire | CAPNR | Sept-iles | Iron ore and industrial bulk cargo |
| Becancour | CABEC | Becancour | Industrial bulk and project cargo |
Great Lakes and connected inland facilities support domestic distribution, industrial supply chains, grain, steel and general cargo. Some indexed locations are inland logistics nodes rather than ocean container gateways.
Great Lakes and inland locations in the indexed sample
| Port | UN-LOCODE | City / Province | Main cargo role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | CATOR | Toronto | Regional container, general and project cargo |
| Hamilton Ca | CAHAM | Hamilton Ca | Steel, dry bulk and industrial cargo |
| Windsor | CAWND | Windsor | Automotive, general and regional cargo |
| Kingston | CAKIN | Kingston | Great Lakes general and bulk cargo |
| Ottawa, On | CAOTT | Ottawa | Inland and regional distribution cargo |
| Edmonton | CAEDM | Edmonton | Inland logistics and project cargo |
Atlantic ports provide deep-sea access to Europe and support container, Ro-Ro, energy, forest-product, fishery and general cargo flows.
Atlantic ports in the indexed sample
| Port | UN-LOCODE | City / Province | Main cargo role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halifax | CAHFX | Halifax | Containers, Ro-Ro and general cargo |
| Halifax | CAHAL | Halifax | Port and facility-level cargo records |
| Saint John | CASNJ | Saint John | Containers, energy and general cargo |
| Charlottetown(p.e.i.) | CACTN | Island and regional general cargo | |
| Corner Brook | CACBK | Corner Brook | Forest products and general cargo |
| Come-by-chance | CACBC | Come-by-chance | Energy and bulk cargo |
The UN/LOCODE format uses the two-letter country prefix CA for Canada followed by a three-letter location identifier. Examples in the indexed sample include CAVAN for Vancouver, CAMTL for Montreal and CAHFX for Halifax.
A city or port authority may appear with more than one record in a commercial database. For example, CAMTL and CAMTR both identify Montreal-related records. The exact code should therefore be matched against the bill of lading, booking confirmation and terminal instructions.
Check the location against the UNECE UN/LOCODE resource and compare it with the searchable Ecer Freight port directory. Carrier schedules and terminal operating instructions should be used for final operational validation.
Pacific gateways connect Canadian exports and imports with China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia. Rail capacity, vessel schedules and seasonal weather can affect inland delivery planning.
Atlantic and St. Lawrence services support containerized consumer goods, machinery, food products and industrial cargo moving between Canada and Northern Europe.
The Mediterranean lane is used for machinery, foodstuffs, forest products and manufactured goods, commonly with transshipment subject to the carrier network.
Short-sea, Great Lakes and intermodal services connect Canadian ports with United States and regional North American markets. Mode selection depends on cargo, border point and final destination.
This guide separates first-party indexed coverage from official port statistics and indicative international rankings. Throughput values and transit times are planning references, not guaranteed sailing commitments.
Canada has 375 seaports and terminals indexed by Ecer Freight in the Nov 2026 database snapshot. The figure includes port, terminal, lake, river and inland logistics records and should not be treated as an official count of ocean container ports.
Vancouver, identified in the indexed sample as CAVAN, is generally Canada’s largest container gateway by throughput. Published results should be checked against the latest Port of Vancouver release for final-year comparisons.
Common codes in the indexed sample include CAVAN for Vancouver, CAMTL for Montreal, CAPRR for Prince Rupert, CAHFX for Halifax, CATOR for Toronto and CAHAM for Hamilton Ca.
The Pacific gateway, St. Lawrence corridor, Great Lakes and Atlantic Canada are the principal regional groupings. Routing depends on cargo type, final inland destination, rail availability, border requirements and vessel schedules.
No. The 375 figure is Ecer Freight indexed coverage and includes seaports, lake ports, river facilities, terminals and inland logistics records. The top-port table focuses on publicly reported container and freight gateways.
The database snapshot is dated Nov 2026. The latest complete statistical year used where available is 2025, while some port-authority figures may be reported for 2024 until the relevant 2025 release is available. Time-sensitive figures should be confirmed before booking.
Shippers can compare FCL sea-freight rates or LCL sea-freight rates. A reliable quotation normally requires the origin and destination, cargo description, dimensions, weight, ready date, Incoterm and any special handling requirements.
Editorial note: Canada port coverage is maintained from the Ecer Freight port database and reviewed against public port-authority, government and international location-code sources. Indexed records and guide content are updated on a scheduled basis, while throughput, schedules, congestion, surcharges and transit times remain subject to carrier and port confirmation.
Ecer Freight · Seaports in Canada: Port Codes, Throughput & Regional Guide (2026) · Data reviewed quarterly · Port Codes · Ports by Country · Contact
