Port of Montreal Sees Increase in Container Traffic, Record Results for 2007
February 29, 2008
Buoyed by a sharp increase in container traffic, the Montreal Port Authority’s consolidated traffic volumes reached a record high of 26 million tonnes in 2007, rising 3.6% or 912,091 tonnes, according to results issued by the agency.
“We are pleased with our performance,” said Patrice M. Pelletier, President and CEO of the MPA. “My team and I are now focused on finding innovative and proactive ways to accelerate growth, and we anticipate that containers will be the cornerstone of an overall strategy that helps the port remain our clients’ preferred choice on the North American East coast.”
The general cargo category, which includes containerized and non-containerized cargo, is the principal sector of activity. Volumes in this category reached 12.7 million tonnes, posting an increase of 7.6% or 892,095 tonnes. In fact, containerized cargo drove much of the increase in this sector, as traffic rose sharply to attain 12.4 million tonnes or 9.4%, slightly more than 1 million tonnes— the equivalent of 1.3 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units).
Several shipping lines that transported containers via the port last year experienced robust activity. Some lines added additional ships to service routes, and some increased their carrying capacity by using larger ships.
“I want to thank our customers for their continued confidence in this port, and I also want to assure them that their needs will remain paramount in all our future plans,” added Mr. Pelletier.
In 2007, the liquid bulk category — composed of petroleum, liquid asphalt, ethanol, and wines and various alcohols — continued to make gains, as it registered its best performance since 1984. Petroleum traffic softened slightly, but 73,800 tonnes of ethanol moved through the port for the first time last year. The introduction of this new product, coupled with an increase in diesel and hydrocarbons traffic and a 250,000-tonne rise in heating oil volume, caused overall traffic volumes in this category to reach 7.9 million tonnes, rising by 1.7% or 134,290 tonnes.
Dry bulk traffic amounted to approximately 5.5 million tonnes, slipping slightly by 2.1%. Marine grain traffic softened by 8.8% to 1.3 million tonnes, while other dry bulk cargo totaled about 4.2 million tonnes, a slight increase of almost 0.2% from 2006.
For more information, visit www.port-montreal.com.
