b'24American Journal ofTransportation ajot.comCompetition for container cargo growing between Canadian East Coast ports Leo Ryan, AJOTAmidstlowglobaleco- $300millionalreadypledged nomic growth and trade trendsbytheCanadaInfrastructure plusserviceadjustmentsbyBankand$130millionfrom oceancarriers,Canadianportsthe Quebec government. Under on the east coast are increasinglywhathasbeendescribedasa competing against each other forhybridapproach,theMontreal container business. At the samePortAuthoritysaidlandside time, they are attempting to keepworks will be carried out by a in step with their peers on theprivatepartner,whilein-water U.S.easternseaboardthroughworks(includingdockcon-infrastructureinvestmentstostruction and dredging) will be meet supply chain demand. undertakenbytheMPAwith ThePortofHalifaxispartner support.facingrisingcompetitionfromThe initial completion date the Bay of Fundy Port of Saintof late 2026 for a terminal with John, which has benefited fromcapacityof1.15millionTEUs recentsubstantialcapacityto go on stream is expected to be investments and from Canadianadjusted to possibly beyond 2027 Pacific railways acquisition ofsometimein2024whenmore theCentralMaine&Quebecdetailsemergeonaneventual Central Railway in 2020. For its(COMPETITIONcontinued part, Montreal, Canadas secondon page 29) Port of Montreal container expansion project continues to move forward.biggest port, must contend with various initiatives taken by the Port of Halifax to capture more strategic Midwest cargo.P orT ofm onTreAlAllsectorscombined,the PortofMontrealposteda2% declineinvolumescompared with 2022, with a total of 35.2 million tonnes of goods handled in 2023, reflecting the impact of a global economic slowdown.Containervolumesfellin thehighsingledigitsto1.54 million TEUs versus the year-earlier 1.7 million TEUs.This declinewasmainlyduetoa decreaseinimportslinked tolacklustreconsumerand constructionsectordemand. Despite the economic. Exports by Canadian companies to the restoftheworldmanagedto remain at levels similar to 2022.Nevertheless,somecon-tainermarketscontinuedto grow,notablyAsia,which increased 4% over 2022 imports, aswellasthosefromOntario and the Midwest, which grew by 2% and 8% respectively on the export market.In the first quarter of 2024, Montrealscontainernumbers werestillshowingadeclining trend,thoughlessseverely withthroughputtoendMarch down 2.4% at 353,025 TEUs.On the infrastructure front, the port plans over the next five yearstoinvestfromitsown funding $335 million in its vari-ousfacilitiesontheIslandof Montrealandabout$300mil-lion in the Contrecoeur expan-sion project to increase container capacity by 1.15 million TEUs.In this connection, the federal governmentlastfallannounced fundingof$150millionforthe Contrecoeurterminalproject whosecosthasreportedlybal-looned from C$950 million to over $1.4 billion. At the same time, the MontrealPortAuthority(MPA) indicated that it will be completed under a new delivery model after the procurement process has been cancelledwiththreeprevious shortlisted bidding groups.Theprocesshadincluded thetotalpackageofterminal construction work and its opera-tion 40 miles east of Montreal on the St. Lawrence River. The federal contribution adds to the'