River transport and trade
What has changed since the pandemic?
Since the trough in activities in the midst of a pandemic, activities have resumed with renewed vigor, quickly, both in the maritime trade and among cruise lines.
A lot of water has flowed under the bridges of Quebec and Montreal since the fateful spring of 2020 when the entire planet came to a standstill. One word was enough to sum up everything we thought: uncertainty.
In the spring of 2021, another cloud hovered over the Port of Montreal, that of a labor dispute between the Syndicat des débardeurs and the Maritime Employers Association. “Even if these events have caused delays for the supply chain and an accumulation of containers on the port territory which will take several weeks to be absorbed, the MPA is delighted to be able to now concentrate on the full resumption of activities, the economic recovery and the fight against the pandemic”, announced the CEO, Martin Imbleau.
Unprecedented growth
The Montreal Port Authority (MPA), which manages the port, was recognized by Green Marine for its best practices in sustainable development and effective environmental management, and was able to stay in the leader of the most respectful port authorities in North America.
On the APM website, “maritime traffic continues to increase on all the seas of the world. In recent times, it has experienced unprecedented growth and, despite the pandemic that has hit the planet since March 2020, international trade is expected to grow by 7.7% over the next year, according to credit insurer Euler Hermes.
In the Indian Ocean, the increase has exceeded 300% in 20 years. In the North Atlantic, the North Pacific and the Mediterranean, it is estimated to fluctuate between 100 and 200%. »
Extensive modernization plans
This rapid growth in maritime traffic has revealed flaws in the system, such as insufficient intermodal connections, congestion of containers piling up in the terminals or even the insufficient number of moorings.
Added to this are plans to upgrade infrastructure to accommodate and refuel next-generation ships that use low-carbon fuels, renewable fuels and clean technologies like green hydrogen, green ethanol and green methanol, but also biofuels, such as biodiesel and renewable natural gas. Not to mention the port expansion project in Contrecœur.
In short, the St. Lawrence River has never been so busy, and the container market has been growing steadily for more than 50 years at the Port of Montreal.
The cruise ships arrive
After two consecutive cruise seasons canceled due to the pandemic, the Canadian government announces the resumption of cruises which bring between 37,500 and 48,000 passengers and, at the same time, a strong signal for the tourism industry which has suffered greatly from the long months of pandemic. In 2022 alone, more than 50,000 cruise passengers disembarked in Montreal.
Let’s conclude by mentioning that approximately $100 billion worth of goods pass through the port each year, the second busiest in Canada, after Vancouver.