The Port Authorities of Montreal, Québec and Trois-Rivières announced the creation of a working group to identify and facilitate the implementation of joint initiatives.
The signing of a collaboration agreement between these three ports on the St. Lawrence River is motivated by strategic, environmental, and economic factors.
The three ports combined annually handle approximately 72.4 million tons of general cargo, containers, non-containerized general cargo, and solid and liquid bulk. The St. Lawrence is the entry and exit route for a multitude of goods, food and materials traded with the rest of the world.
Global supply chains are being restructured. Shipping lines and import-export stakeholders are looking for the best routes at the best cost and want to accelerate the decarbonization of maritime transport. There are opportunities for our ports and for our economy
said Martin Imbleau, President and CEO of the Montreal Port Authority.
The working group will explore different avenues of collaboration that could improve the competitiveness of the St. Lawrence corridor, such as the connection between the ports and the freight and train transport networks, the exchange of expertise, or the compatibility of technological systems.
Since the Government of Canada has announced its intention to modernize the Canada Marine Act, the act that governs the canadian Port Authorities’ operations, the working group’s conclusions could also be used to inform the work of Transport Canada.
More than 80% of trade worldwide is done by ship and the St. Lawrence/Great Lakes axis is Canada’s most important trade corridor. Our infrastructures are vital to our economy, with major importance along the St. Lawrence, but of minor importance when it comes to global supply chains
stated Mario Girard, President and CEO of the Quebec Port Authority.
