Employers at ports in British Columbia will lock out unionized supervisors, a move that threatens to freeze trade on Canada’s West Coast and add to the country’s supply chain disruptions.

The BC Maritime Employers Association said it would lock out workers on Monday at Canada's Port of Vancouver after a negotiating deadline passed, potentially disrupting exports of coal, potash and beef.

The BC Maritime Employers Association said it would lock out workers on Monday at Canada's Port of Vancouver after a negotiating deadline

Workers at two West Coast ports, including the Port of Vancouver, the largest facility in Canada, are now locked out. The lockout went into effect at 4:30 p.m. Monday. The British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA),

Employers have locked out more than 700 unionized workers—including in Squamish—in the latest development in a labour dispute that the union says will shut down all ports in British Columbia until further notice.

Port of Vancouver foremen were locked out on Monday after failing to withdraw a strike notice at Canada's largest port, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp said, potentially impacting exports of coal, potash and beef although not bulk grain shipments.

Canadian West Coast ports employers are shutting down all container operations in a lockout impacting $800 million in trade daily.