The products tanker Tasing Swan arrived at pier 9 yesterday. Today a coasting trade application was filed by Petro-Nav to use the tanker to shuttle refined product from the refinery in Levis to ports around the great lakes before the seaway shuts down at the end of December.

Petro-Nav cited delays in its tankers returning from arctic work as the reason the coasting trade license is required. Petro-Nav currently has at least 5 tankers working on coasting trade licenses in Canadian waters.

Given the volume of product being carried domestically by foreign flagged ships, Canadian fleet expansion should be in order.