Canada needs a new shipbuilding strategy that will help domestic firms become more globally competitive, says the president of the Shipbuilding Association of Canada (SAC).
But Peter Cairns is not calling for policies that enable Canadian companies to build ships for overseas markets. He wants Ottawa to introduce tax breaks and other incentives so that Canuck firms can beat out international rivals on domestic deals to build ships that sail in Canadian waters.
Ottawa-based SAC, which represents Canada's ship-building and ship-repair companies across the country, is forecasting $8.6 billion worth of demand for Canadian vessels over the next 15 years.
The demand breaks down as $2.8 billion for commercial ships - including ferries and merchant vessels - and $5.8 billion for federal ships, including navy ships, Atlantic ferries, coast guard vessels, Department of Fisheries and Oceans boats and others.
Source: Business Edge