The authorities of the Canadian ports in Montreal, Québec and Trois-Rivières have set up a working group to identify and facilitate the implementation of joint initiatives aiming to strengthen the St. Lawrence corridor.
The signing of a collaboration agreement between these three ports on the St. Lawrence River is motivated by strategic, environmental, and economic factors, according to a joint statement.
“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 decarbonisation of maritime transport. There are opportunities for our ports and for our economy,” said Martin Imbleau, president and CEO of the Montreal Port Authority.
Combined, the three ports handle about 72.4 million tonnes of general cargo, containers, non-containerised general cargo, and solid and liquid bulk annually.
“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,” said Mario Girard, president and CEO of the Quebec Port Authority.
“With this new relationship, we want to develop some of the most sustainable and eco-responsible logistics and supply chains globally and interprovincially,” he added.
From west to east, over 250 km of waterway, the ports of Montreal, Trois-Rivières and Québec have much in common, as they are based on complementary intermodal platforms and often have the same maritime partners.
“What facilitates collaboration is our complementarity. The ports of Montréal, Québec and Trois-Rivières each have their own expertise and specific roles in the supply chain. Increasing our collaboration will create synergies that will benefit the customers we serve and the communities in which we operate,” noted Gaétan Boivin, president and CEO of the Trois-Rivières Port Authority.
The working group will explore different ways of working together that could improve the competitiveness of the St. Lawrence corridor.
Some examples of these are the connection between the ports and the freight and train transport networks, the exchange of expertise, or the compatibility of technological systems.
