Atlantic Canada’s maritime strengths – potatoes and bioscience (Prince Edward Islands – PEI), ocean tech and ports (Nova Scotia), food processing, forestry and fast-rising container logistics (New Brunswick) – align with Pakistan’s needs in food security, blue economy, energy efficiency and trade facilitation.
Key points
- P.E.I. scale: In 2024, prepared/preserved potatoes reached $740.9M and fresh/chilled $188.5M in export value – reliable inputs for Pakistan’s large food market and processors. Government of Prince Edward Island
- P.E.I. bioscience muscle: The cluster contributed $471M to GDP (≈8% of the island’s private-sector economy), with above-average productivity – an anchor for nutrition, diagnostics and ag-biotech partnerships. peibioalliance.com
- Nova Scotia’s seafood engine: Exports hit $2.47B in 2021 and remain highly diversified; in 2024 about 52% went to the U.S. and 26% to China – leaving headroom to grow Pakistan/Middle East lanes. Government of Nova Scotia+1
- Ports as springboards: Halifax publishes quarterly cargo/TEU dashboards; Saint John (New Brunswick) container traffic climbed 300% since 2017 to 175,000 TEU in 2024 after terminal modernization and new cranes. Port Halifax+1
- New Brunswick food champions: McCain Foods (founded in Florenceville, NB) is a world leader in frozen potato products – ready for co-manufacturing, cold-chain and retail JV playbooks with Pakistani partners. McCain Foods Global Corporate+1
Why these three provinces – and why now?
Pakistan’s big market needs consistent calories, high-standard ingredients, resilient cold chains and smarter ports. Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) brings potato and bioscience scale, Nova Scotia brings seafood/ocean tech plus the Atlantic gateway at Halifax and New Brunswick combines food processing, forestry, aquaculture and a fast-rising container port at Saint John. Post-COVID supply-chain resets and Gulf/ASEAN opportunities make Atlantic–Pakistan collaboration both rational and time-sensitive.
Prince Edward Island: potatoes, mussels and bioscience
Food inputs at scale. P.E.I. remains a potato powerhouse. In 2024, prepared/preserved potatoes were $740.9M and fresh/chilled $188.5M of exports -volumes and standards that Pakistani importers and co-packers can rely on for branded retail and HORECA lines. Government of Prince Edward Island
Blue foods. The island’s mussel and shellfish aquaculture is tightly regulated and quality-assured – ideal for pilot cold-chain corridors to Pakistan’s Tier-1 cities and onward to the Gulf. Government of Prince Edward Island
Bioscience to product. P.E.I.’s bioscience cluster delivered $471M in GDP, ≈8% of the private-sector economy, with 48% higher GDP per job than the island average. This ecosystem (companies + UPEI + NRC/AAFC partners) is tailor-made for nutrition, diagnostics and ag-biotech projects with Pakistani universities and firms. peibioalliance.com. The cluster is also tracking toward a $1B industry by 2030, suggesting durable capacity for co-development and contract manufacturing. peibioalliance.com
Nova Scotia: ocean tech, seafood and the Halifax platform
Seafood diversification. Nova Scotia remains a seafood export leader ($2.47B in 2021). In 2024, about 52% of exports went to the U.S. and 26% to China—evidence of scale, but also an incentive to cultivate South Asia/Gulf demand where Pakistan-linked distributors operate. Co-branding Nova Scotia species (lobster, scallops, groundfish) with Pakistani processors can unlock premium SKUs. Government of Nova Scotia+1
Port of Halifax. Halifax’s quarterly statistics and 5-year summaries give shippers a transparent planning signal, while rail connections support time-sensitive cold chains – useful when pairing Atlantic seafood and P.E.I. ingredients with Pakistan distribution partners. Port Halifax
Research & training. Dalhousie’s global collaboration model (centres/institutes across oceans, health, logistics) and documented Pakistan-facing engagements (e.g., maritime security dialogues in Karachi) can be harnessed for port optimization, blue-economy analytics and health/food safety programs. Welcome to Dalhousie University+1
New Brunswick: containers, processors, forests, and fish
Port Saint John: Since DP World entered in 2017, Saint John’s containers rose from 57,402 TEU to 175,000 TEU in 2024 (+300%), with additional cranes and an Americold plan set to deepen refrigerated capacity – excellent news for Pakistan-Atlantic cold-chain pilots. DP World+1
Food processing leadership. McCain Foods – founded in Florenceville (“French Fry Capital of the World”) – is the world’s largest frozen potato producer. Pairing McCain’s manufacturing know-how with Pakistan’s food market suggests clear JV lanes in fries/appetizers, distribution tech and retail execution. McCain
Forestry & aquaculture. NB’s forestry complex spans ~126 wood-processing businesses, including six pulp and paper mills – relevant for Pakistan’s packaging demand. Cooke Inc., NB-based, is a global seafood operator whose international footprint, standards and distribution could accelerate salmon/seafood-to-Pakistan options. forestnb.com+1
Data Tables (post-COVID signals & actionable lanes)
Table 1 — Atlantic provinces → Pakistan: signals that de-risk entry
|
Signal |
Latest datapoint |
Why it matters |
|
P.E.I. potato exports |
Prepared/preserved $740.9M, fresh $188.5M (2024) |
Consistent, certified inputs for Pakistan’s processors/retail. Government of Prince Edward Island |
|
P.E.I. bioscience |
$471M GDP; 8% of private sector; +48% GDP/job |
Platform for nutrition/diagnostics co-dev. peibioalliance.com |
|
Nova Scotia seafood |
$2.47B (2021); 2024 mix: 52% U.S., 26% China |
Scale exists; room to grow Pakistan/Gulf lanes. Government of Nova Scotia+1 |
|
Port Saint John TEU |
175,000 (2024); +300% since 2017 |
Reliable, expanding Atlantic gateway for cold-chain. DP World |
Table 2 — Province strengths mapped to Pakistan demand (start with low-capex steps)
|
Province strength |
Pakistan demand |
Entry vehicle |
|
P.E.I. potatoes & mussels |
Affordable staples; premium seafood |
LTSAs; co-packing; reefer trials with traceability. Government of Prince Edward Island+1 |
|
P.E.I. bioscience cluster |
Nutrition & diagnostics |
Contract R&D; pilot manufacturing with UPEI links. peibioalliance.com |
|
N.S. seafood & ocean tech |
Protein + port efficiency |
Joint brands; port analytics pilots via research centres. Invest Nova Scotia+1 |
|
N.B. container/reefer |
Predictable inbound/outbound |
Saint John–Karachi corridor with cold-chain KPIs. DP World |
|
N.B. processing & forestry |
Processed foods; packaging inputs |
McCain-style JVs; pulp/paper supply for packaging. McCain+1 |
What each audience can do next
- Policymakers: Launch an Atlantic–Pakistan Food & Blue Economy Roundtable (semi-annual) focused on SPS/cold-chain protocols, halal compliance and port data standards. Track progress using P.E.I. potato/export reports, Nova Scotia seafood dashboards and Saint John TEU/reefer metrics. Government of Prince Edward Island+2Invest Nova Scotia+2
- Investors: Start cap-light: (1) P.E.I. ingredient supply with Pakistan co-packing, potato and bioscience prospects (2) Nova Scotia seafood brands for Pakistan/Gulf channels, (3) Saint John reefer corridors with Americold/rail integration, (4) McCain-style retail execution/last-mile analytics. Inside Logisitics+1
- Academics: Build micro-credentials in port logistics, cold-chain analytics, food safety and blue-economy innovation (UPEI/Dal/UNB), leveraging existing Pakistan-facing research touchpoints. Welcome to Dalhousie University+2upei.ca+2
- General public & diaspora: Support buyer–seller days (Karachi/Lahore/Islamabad ↔ Charlottetown/Halifax/Saint John); showcase Atlantic brands in Pakistani retail and Pakistan brands in Atlantic Canada.
Conclusion
P.E.I. offers dependable potato and bioscience capacity; Nova Scotia brings seafood, ocean tech and the Halifax gateway; New Brunswick adds world-class processors, forestry inputs and a surging Saint John container port. Start with services-first, low-capex pilots: co-packing and branded foods, reefer corridors with shared dashboards, port-efficiency analytics and bioscience R&D to product. Use university and diaspora networks to derisk, certify early and scale what works. Executed with clear KPIs and standards, Atlantic-to-Indus partnerships will create quality jobs, stronger supply chains and durable two-way prosperity. Government of Prince Edward Island+2Invest Nova Scotia+2
* Dr. Muhammad Jahanzaib is the Founder & Chief Visionary Officer (CVO) of Diamanium Thinkers, a global think tank. He holds a PhD in International Relations, specializing in the intersection of politics and economics in Pakistan’s foreign and domestic policy. A double gold medalist and published scholar, he writes on economic intelligence, economic diplomacy, political economy, AI and regional cooperation in South Asia and beyond. He can be reached at jahanzaibdgc@gmail.com.
Key references
- P.E.I. Agriculture & Agri-Food Exports, 2024 (Gov. of P.E.I.) — https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/sites/default/files/publications/pei_agriculture_and_agri-food_exports_international_2024.pdf
- P.E.I. Mussel Monitoring Program 2024 Report — https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/sites/default/files/43f9/MMP%202024.pdf
- PEI Bioscience Cluster: Economic Impact (2024) — https://peibioalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/PEI_biosciences_impact_2024_v2.pdf
- PEI Bioscience Cluster Accelerates (2025) — https://peibioalliance.com/news/pei-bioscience-cluster-accelerates-as-a-powerhouse-economic-engine-with-impressive-2023-performance/
- Nova Scotia Seafood: Facts & Figures — https://novascotia.ca/fish/documents/seafood-industry-facts-figures.pdf
- Invest Nova Scotia: Diversifying Seafood Exports (2025) — https://investnovascotia.ca/news-and-stories/navigating-new-waters-diversifying-nova-scotias-seafood-exports
- Port of Halifax – Cargo & Cruise Statistics — https://www.porthalifax.ca/port-operations-centre/cargo-statistics/
- DP World: Growth at Port Saint John (2025) — https://www.dpworld.com/en/canada/news/latest-news/dpw-calls-for-skilled-workforce-to-drive-continued-growth-at-port-saint-john
- Inside Logistics: New cranes at Saint John (2024) — https://www.insidelogistics.ca/capacity/dp-world-expands-port-saint-john-capacity/
- Forest NB – Economy profile — https://www.forestnb.com/economy/
- McCain Foods – Our History / About — https://www.mccain.com/information-centre/news/florenceville-bristol-expansion/ ; https://mccain.ca/en/about-us/
- Dalhousie – Collaboration; Pakistan maritime dialogues — https://www.dal.ca/research-and-innovation/collaboration.html ; https://www.dal.ca/sites/cssd/projects0/RMSP/rms-indian-ocean.html
- UPEI – Research / Precision Agriculture (Pakistan expertise) — https://www.upei.ca/research ; https://projects.upei.ca/precision-agriculture/graduate-students/
- UNB – Partner with UNB / Research — https://www.unb.ca/research/partner/research-expertise.html ; https://www.unb.ca/research/