Canada's West Coast Crude Exports Surge Amid Asian Demand
Canada's west coast crude oil export capacity has expanded significantly over the past few decades, thanks to the Trans Mountain Expansion (TMX) pipeline launched in May 2024.
The TMX pipeline presented a structural change in where Canadian supply can land, allowing tankers to increasingly point to Northeast Asia, said Trans Mountain's CEO Mark Maki at APPEC 2026 in Singapore on Sept. 8.
According to Maki's presentation slides, China took the bulk of Asia-bound shipments from the Westbridge marine terminal, totaling 374 Aframax cargoes, from May 2024 to July 2026.
South Korea ranked second with 33 cargoes, India came in with four cargoes, and Japan recorded three cargoes. This reinforces Canada's 'diversify to Asia' strategy as not just aspirational, but already visible in how cargoes are being allocated across the region, Maki said.
Canadian crude had previously been routed predominantly toward the US market, but TMX made it possible for tankers to increasingly point to Northeast Asia, Maki added.