Minister concerned over B.C. Ferries' construction deal with Chinese shipyard

Ashley Joannou · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 10, 2025 8:54 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 hours ago

British Columbia's transport curate has raised concerns with B.C. Ferries astir its determination to person a Chinese shipyard physique 4 caller ferries for its rider fleet, amid an ongoing commercialized struggle betwixt Canada and China.

The winning bidder connected the declaration announced Tuesday is Chinese state-owned China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards.

Mike Farnworth said successful a connection helium was disquieted astir procuring services from "any state that is actively harming Canada's economy" with tariffs and protectionism.

"B.C. Ferries is an autarkic institution liable for its ain operational decisions," Farnworth said.

"While B.C. Ferries has made its determination to acquisition caller vessels offshore, I americium disappointed much engagement from Canadian shipyards was not portion of the contract."

Farnworth's remarks came hours aft the announcement by B.C. Ferries CEO Nicolas Jimenez that the Chinese shipyard had been chosen to physique its vessels, with the archetypal expected to travel into work successful 2029 and the others pursuing successful six-month intervals.

Jimenez said helium wasn't disquieted astir geopolitical tensions betwixt Canada and China, adding his superior absorption was getting the state a bully deal.

"Customers expect america to spell root the champion imaginable deal, [the] highest quality, a gait that provides safety, a gait that provides the highest successful standards erstwhile it comes to oversight [and] labour, and to get the champion cost," helium said astatine a quality league Tuesday.

"When it comes to things similar commercialized policy, concern policy, geopolitics, I deliberation we would truly defer that to the national and provincial governments and expect them to negociate and enactment those issues."

He said successful a quality merchandise that the shipyard was "the wide prime based connected the wide spot of its bid."

It said Weihai Shipyards has built vessels for Canada's Marine Atlantic ferry institution and different operators specified arsenic Corsica Linea and Brittany Ferries of France.

Canada and China are engaged successful a commercialized dispute, with Beijing imposing retaliatory tariffs connected Canadian canola lipid and meal, peas and seafood aft Ottawa slapped levies connected Chinese-made electrical vehicles, alloy and aluminum.

Jimenez said Tuesday that determination are presently nary tariffs associated with the import of vessels of this benignant into Canada and tariff disputes didn't origin into the decision.

B.C. Ferries is not releasing the worth of the declaration different than Jimenez saying it fits wrong the fund approved by the B.C. Ferries Commissioner earlier this year. 

He said releasing details of the woody earlier the task is implicit could enactment aboriginal procurements astatine risk. 

"To support B.C. Ferries and our customers, we've structured the declaration successful a mode that reduces our hazard portion expanding shipyard accountability. Most of the outgo is tied to delivery, and that means the shipyard doesn't get afloat paid until the vessels are delivered and conscionable the rigorous standards that we've laid retired successful the contract," helium said.

"There are besides measures similar refund guarantees and fixed terms presumption that volition further support B.C. Ferries and our customers." 

B.C. Ferries' caput of fleet renewal, Ed Hooper, said nary Canadian companies bid connected the ships that volition transportation astir 52 per cent much passengers and 24 per cent much vehicles than the ferries they are replacing. 

WATCH | 4 caller ferries coming to B.C.: 

Jimenez said 60 per cent of the world's ships are built successful China, and B.C. Ferries did owed diligence to marque definite it understood the "technical and transportation and state risks associated with making this decision."

B.C. Ferries said it volition person its ain squad of experts on-site astatine the shipyard passim operation to supply oversight and prime assurance.

In a statement, the Opposition B.C. Conservatives accused Premier David Eby of "abandoning Canadian workers" by awarding a "multibillion-dollar" declaration to a Chinese state-owned enterprise.

The oldest ferry being replaced is the Queen of New Westminster, built successful 1964, portion the Queen of Cowichan, Queen of Alberni and Queen of Coquitlam each crook 50 adjacent year.

B.C. Ferries had hoped to bargain 5 caller vessels and bring its fleet size from 10 to 11 but earlier this twelvemonth the provincial regulator rejected the pitch, saying a 5th ferry "is not successful the nationalist interest" arsenic it is "not indispensable for harmless and reliable work and is not fiscally prudent."

The genitor institution of China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards is China Merchants Industry Holdings.

The conglomerate's website describes it arsenic a "centrally administrated state-owned" endeavor with much than a 100 years of history, making it 1 of the oldest "Chinese-funded enterprises" successful existence.

The website says the institution is based successful Hong Kong and operates 9 large shipyards crossed the Chinese seashore arsenic good arsenic overseas subsidiaries and agencies successful countries specified arsenic Finland and Germany.