A vital role in world trade
Port cities are unlike other world cities. Their activities boost economic growth and help shape the communities in which they operate. In Montreal, the port creates 18,000 direct and indirect jobs, which generate an annual economic benefit of approximately $1.5 billion.
By promoting greater trade between countries, globalization has profoundly changed the face of maritime shipping. New road infrastructures and freight networks service growing demand from around the world. In the process, Montreal has become an attractive and affordable gateway to North America’s industrial heartland, especially for shipping lines from Asia and the Mediterranean.
Several factors explain the Port of Montreal’s popularity: its strategic location, the versatility of its facilities and its extensive rail and road networks that provide access to inland markets throughout North America.
The Port of Montreal is also a vital link in the supply chain of various raw materials and products throughout Canada and the USA and a conductor of international trade for all its customers: 40 million consumers are within a day’s travel by truck; 70 million consumers are within three days of travel by rail.
Containerized cargo: a growth industry
The Port of Montreal is a leader among container ports, a type of transport that generates - and continues to generate - substantial economic benefits. Containerized goods make up approximately 50% of the port’s total traffic, while liquid and solid bulk make up the remainder.
Spurred on by global trade, containerized cargo traffic has grown steadily in recent years. Today, the Port of Montreal is the only container port along the Quebec-Ontario Continental Gateway, which moves more than 74% of Canada's trade. Each year, the port handles more than 1.3 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units), ranking it among the top 100 container ports in the world.
Tens of millions of dollars are invested each year to increase the operating efficiency of the port’s rail network, quays and terminals, and to improve the flow of goods. These initiatives, along with cooperation from its logistics and transport chain partners and support from the Greater Montreal business community, strengthen the port’s role in Montreal’s economic viability and Canada’s long-term prosperity.