The Port of Montreal enjoyed a 7.9 percent increase in all traffic combined in the first half of 2010 over the same period in 2009 to reach a total tonnage of approximately 11.8 million metric tons, according to preliminary traffic data. The two main drivers of this growth are containerized cargo and iron ore.
Container traffic posted an increase of about 12.6 percent for the first six months of the year, rising from 5,445,878 metric tons for the same period last year to 6,129,712 metric tons. The strongest growth came in traffic with the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, with 35 percent and 19 percent increases respectively. Traffic with Northern Europe has also improved, posting a 3 percent increase.
In terms of the number of full and empty TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) for all traffic combined, the increase amounted to 8 percent for a total of 670,128 TEUs.
On the bulk cargo traffic front, while liquid bulk dropped 2.9 percent, dry bulk rose 13.7 percent. Iron ore handled at the Contrecoeur Terminal showed the most marked growth, with an upswing of 376 percent compared to the same period in 2009.
"The increase in containerized cargo traffic over the first six months of the year is confirmed, bringing us back up to the 2007 level for the same period, while last year at this time we were below the 2005 level," stated Sylvie Vachon, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Montreal Port Authority. The Port's good performance underscores its key role in the delivery of goods from Northern Europe and the Mediterranean to Central Canada and the U.S. Midwest.