Container throughput at the Port of Montreal declined by 15.3 percent in 2009, as the number of full and empty containers handled by the port fell to 1,247,690 20-foot equivalent units.
The Montreal Port Authority said the full impact of the global economic crisis was mitigated by the port’s diversification into trade with the Mediterranean markets, which grew by 5.5 percent in the number of TEUs.
Marine grain shipping traffic also rose, recording a 14.7 percent increase over the previous year.
Overall throughput at the grain terminal (ships, trains and trucks) in 2009 totaled 2,418,559 metric tons, an increase of 4.4 percent.
“The diversification of our markets puts the Port of Montreal in a strong position to benefit from the economic recovery,” said Sylvie Vachon, the president and CEO of the port authority.
All traffic combined, the drop in volume handled at the Port of Montreal was 12 percent below 2008, with a total of 24.5 million metric tons.
Bulk cargo volume dropped 8.7 percent to 13 million metric tons, while the volume of petroleum products remained essentially the same with an increase of 0.4 percent.