The Port of Saint John is losing one of its biggest customers to the Port of Halifax.
Tropical Shipping has announced it will be relocating from Saint John to Halifax effective Jan. 9.
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The company has been in Saint John for the past 15 years and moves about 45,000 containers through the port each year — accounting for about half the port’s traffic.
The move is a strategic one, Tropical Shipping said in a release, allowing for better access to rail and truck connections as well as terminal capacity.
The move to Halifax will also allow them to better serve their customers in Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean, the company says.
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The shipping company says it will maintain its local office in Saint John.
Tropical Shipping’s last sailing day from Saint John will be Dec. 27.