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Amid all the talk of transforming Halifax into an Atlantic Gateway for Asian trade, an opportunity facing the Port of Saint John has been all but overlooked. With a little effort, the port could establish itself as the gateway in a trade corridor for goods shipped to and from Latin America.

The federal government is behind the idea, having discovered the shipping distance through Saint John is comparable to that from New York or Houston. Saint John already offers the fastest inland shipping in Atlantic Canada.

What's really interesting about the proposal is that it would involve exports as well as imports. Latin America is an emerging market, with growing demand for building products, oil and gasfield supplies and backoffice functions like financial services. There's a real opportunity to stimulate two-way trade.

Making it work is going to require commitment and co-operation. The feds need to finalize free trade agreements that give Canadian firms equal footing with American companies in the region. The port authority needs to shift its attention to southern shippers in a big way. And the ILA needs to figure out how to compete with New York and Houston. No one is going to land a significantly greater volume of business here unless the fees are as competitive as the distances and transit speeds.

We've heard a lot in the past year about the port's hopes for expanding shipping. This is an opportunity to move from rhetoric to action, and prove Saint John still has what it takes to be a major shipping centre.