North American Gateway and Corridor Initiatives in a Changing World

The explosive growth of the Asian economies and in particular, those of India and China, are transforming the global economy, world energy demands and world trade flows, transportation networks and infrastructure of ships, ports, railways, roads, planes, airports and all of their related multi-modal handling facilities. Central to the transformation of global trade logistics is the role of Gateways and Corridors in the economic development of region’s and continents. Canada’s Asia Pacific Gateway and Corridor Research Initiative is a consortium of four western research agencies established to explore the role of Gateways and Corridors in the economic development process. This paper provides a brief introduction to some of the theory, concepts, reality and issues surrounding the development of trade gateways and corridors in Canada and around the world and identifies areas for further research and policy development for Canada and North America to retain their competitive position in the global economy.