Port of Montreal posts container gains in 2025 as bulk shipments fall
Container traffic rose 3.6 per cent in 2025 even as overall tonnage slipped, reflecting a shift in trade patterns as Ottawa moves to diversify markets beyond the United States.
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By Torontoer Staff
The Port of Montreal moved 1.51 million 20-foot equivalent units in 2025, a 3.6 per cent increase in container traffic as shipments of bulk cargo declined. Overall throughput fell to 34.3 million tonnes, down about 3 per cent from 2024, with droughts in Western Canada cited as a major factor behind weaker bulk volumes.
Montreal Port Authority chief executive Julie Gascon said the container gains reflect steps to diversify markets and reduce reliance on the United States, a strategy she said has helped offset tougher conditions tied to protectionist policies abroad.
Where the growth came from
Preliminary annual data shared by the port show Europe as the main hub for Montreal users. Four of the port's five largest two-way trade partners in 2025 were European nations, with Germany moving into first place ahead of India. Trade with Morocco grew 44 per cent, and high-double-digit increases were recorded with other African suppliers such as Ivory Coast. Trade with South America rose about 12 per cent.
- Container traffic: 1.51 million TEUs, up 3.6 per cent
- Total merchandise handled: 34.3 million tonnes, down 3 per cent
- Notable trade increases: Morocco up 44 per cent, South America up 12 per cent
Policy shifts and port strategy
Ottawa has accelerated efforts to build trade links beyond the United States, negotiating new agreements and seeking to expand export markets. The federal government has set targets to increase non-U.S. exports and to strengthen the national ports system, moves seen by port officials as complementary to Montreal's diversification push.
Diversification has mitigated the effect on the country’s economy, which is reflected in container volumes. All of those strategies to diversify our markets are working.
Julie Gascon, chief executive, Montreal Port Authority
Gascon says the Port of Montreal and the St. Lawrence corridor should be treated as strategic assets for that wider shift in trade. She identified scaling operations and reducing labour disruption as immediate priorities to keep clients from moving to rival harbours.
Contrecoeur terminal: expansion and opposition
The port is moving ahead with plans for a new cargo terminal at Contrecoeur, about 40 kilometres downstream from Montreal. The $2.3-billion project has been designated a national priority by Ottawa and would feature a 675-metre docking platform, berths for two ships, eight loading cranes and a container yard linked to rail.
DP World Ltd. has been selected to build and operate the land-based portion of the terminal and to run the facility under a 40-year agreement. Fisheries and Oceans Canada has granted authorizations that clear regulatory hurdles for construction to proceed, but environmental groups say legal challenges are likely.
The project could become a white elephant that’s likely to be underutilized and unprofitable, representing a costly strategic mistake for taxpayers and an irreversible blow to biodiversity.
Henri Chevalier, study co-author commissioned by SNAP Québec
Gascon rejects that characterisation and says expanding capacity at Canadian ports is necessary to shore up supply chains and respond to shifting global trade patterns.
Capacity limits and the outlook for 2026
Montreal's inland position brings cargo closer to Central Canadian manufacturers and U.S. Midwest consumers, and the port is integrated with rail and road networks. The port handles about 80 trains a week and connects to roughly 2,800 trucks for pick-up and delivery, factors the authority says favour mid-sized container vessels that still represent about 75 per cent of the global fleet.
Industry observers warn that the port's limited depth constrains its ability to handle the very largest container ships. Jean-Paul Rodrigue, a maritime business professor, noted that ultra-large vessels above 10,000 to 12,000 TEUs are outside the Port of Montreal's draft capabilities.
Ships above 10,000-12,000 TEUs are the real workhorses of global shipping, which are completely outside the range of the Port of Montreal.
Jean-Paul Rodrigue, professor of maritime business administration
The near-term demand outlook is mixed. Tariff-driven shifts in trade could create opportunities for Montreal as shippers look for new routes, but they could also leave demand unstable. Ben Hackett, founder of maritime consultancy Hackett Associates, said the world is increasingly focused on protecting domestic industries and addressing perceived trade imbalances, a trend that could influence volumes in 2026.
What comes next
Port officials are pressing the federal government for a coherent national port and maritime strategy to guide investment and leverage interprovincial and international trade links. For now, the Port of Montreal is positioning capacity expansion and market diversification as its response to a changing global trade environment, while facing legal, environmental and physical constraints that will shape its role in Canada’s supply chain.
As businesses and policy makers adapt to shifting trade rules, Montreal's performance in container shipping in 2025 signals one part of a larger rebalancing of Canada’s export patterns.
Port of MontrealshippingtradeContrecoeurJulie Gascon
