I think we should look at all of the issues that play out on top of each other. There's one thing we have to be very clear on, Terry. We have to ensure that we have the infrastructure that suits the business model of the steamship lines too.
For instance, in Regina, we at AGT spent $35 million of our own capital in a partnership with CN Rail to build an inland container terminal to stop the empty containers that were flowing from Chicago and Toronto to Vancouver. We stop them in Melville, Saskatchewan, bring them to Regina, fill them with grain and ship them back. That infrastructure didn't exist. What we try to do with that is minimize the dwell times that containers sit here empty.
While we're talking about the steamship lines and cartel behaviour, which I mentioned, we have to recognize it's an international market. We have to get the containers in and out as quickly as possible to ensure that steamship lines want to bring their business to Canada.
With all due respect to our witness Mr. Negad, I don't know if I agree that Vancouver and Prince Rupert are less efficient. The problems at Long Beach, as Mark mentioned, have been far worse. I think the problem here is we just don't have enough sailings. The steamship lines have cut our service. There's not enough supply, which is why they can charge so much more.
In the U.S., there's a competitive market. Everybody has to go there. They've chosen not to come to Canada, and for containers that are coming here, they're charging three times the amount. That's our problem. It's a simple, fundamental supply and demand problem. Hopefully that's going to switch back.
I believe the efficiency of Vancouver and Prince Rupert is going to bring more containers into Canada over the next periods.