BC Ferries under fire over Chinese contract for 4 new ships

BC Ferries is under fire over a contract with a Chinese company for 4 new ships. Now, Canada’s largest and oldest shipyard has condemned it.

Davie Shipyard CEO James Davis said it was “very unfortunate” that BC Ferries had contracted with a Chinese company. Davis said BC Ferries prioritized low prices.

He said the Chinese shipyard receives heavy subsidies, has to pay cheap labor, and no Canadian or Western shipyard can reasonably compete with it.

No other company, including Canada's Davie Shipyard, got a chance to bid for the contract, with BC Ferries saying it would have cost $1.2 billion more to contract with a European shipbuilder.