Ottawa, Canada
Sea freight in Ottawa
We book FCL and LCL sea freight for shippers and consignees in Ottawa, via Port of Montreal. Pre-carriage, on-carriage by road or rail and the customs entries are planned together with the ocean booking.
Airports, seaports and connections in Ottawa
- AirportOttawa
YOW - AirportMontreal
YUL - SeaportPort of Montreal
Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW) is the airport of Canada's capital, with mainly domestic and transborder passenger flights that carry belly cargo and limited international capacity. For larger international shipments, cargo for Ottawa is usually routed via Montreal-Trudeau (YUL), roughly 200 km east, or Toronto Pearson (YYZ) and trucked to Ottawa. By sea, Ottawa is served by the Port of Montreal, with road and rail connections to the city.
Highway 417 (the Queensway) runs through Ottawa and continues east to Montreal, while Highway 416 links Ottawa with Highway 401 towards Toronto and the US border crossings in eastern Ontario. Across the Ottawa River, Gatineau in Quebec is connected via several bridges. Trucking to Montreal and Toronto is the standard link for international air and sea freight.
Operational logistics facts for Ottawa
| Hub | Specialisation | Local advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW) | Belly cargo on domestic and transborder flights | Air freight directly into the capital region |
| Montreal-Trudeau (YUL) and Toronto Pearson (YYZ) | International widebody and freighter capacity | Trucking to Ottawa from the large gateways |
| Kanata North technology park | Telecom, networking and semiconductor products | Time-critical handling for high-value electronics |
| Highway 417 / Highway 416 | Road freight to Montreal, Toronto and the US | Direct road access to the main gateways |
Industries in Ottawa and how we support them
Ottawa has a large technology sector, centred on the Kanata North technology park, with telecom, networking, software and semiconductor companies. The federal government and defence organisations are major employers and generate shipments of electronics and sensitive equipment. We support these supply chains with air freight under our own air waybills via YOW, YUL or YYZ, Next Flight Out for urgent network equipment, On-Board Courier for prototypes and sensitive items, and sea freight through the Port of Montreal. For export-controlled technology, we check the documentation with you before shipping.
FCL and LCL via Port of Montreal
Full containers are booked directly with the shipping line; for smaller volumes we use LCL consolidation services. Pre-carriage from Ottawa to Port of Montreal, or on-carriage after arrival, is arranged by road or rail as part of the same booking.
Customs clearance in Canada
Ziem network
Customs clearance in Canada is handled by a partner team in the Ziem network, under the Ziem Logistics brand and to our procedures.
For air freight to and from Canada we issue our own air waybills.
Importers in Canada need a business number with an import-export account and registration in CARM.
Frequently asked questions
Which port is used for sea freight to and from Ottawa?
Usually Port of Montreal. Depending on the shipping line and the destination, another port can be faster or more economical; we compare the options when quoting.