Capacity expansion at Canada’s east coast container ports targets trade diversification

by Leo Ryan Sep 15, 2026 | Published in Issue 793 on page 36

Port of Montreal Pursues Ambitious Goals.

With the Carney federal government highlighting the critical role Canadian ports must play in its trade diversification strategy aimed at lessening reliance on the United States, the Port of Montreal’s Contrecoeur container terminal undertaking was the first identified under “nation-building” projects singled out for fast-tracking. And as the much-delayed biggest project in the modern history of the leading container gateway on the Canadian east coast has finally concretely moved towards completion, there is a noticeable evolution of its maritime trading patterns.

For years, Northern Europe historically represented more than half of the port’s containerized maritime trade. European markets even accounted for 65% of the port’s total container throughput a decade ago. But today, the proportion is down to roughly one-third of total 2025 container throughput of 1.52 million TEU.

Asia is a significant growing market, accounting for about one quarter - featuring notable increases in volume from China and expanding connections to India.

A traditional and steady market, the Mediterranean makes up around 22% of trade, driven by robust export and import ties with countries like Morocco.

Port officials point to rising trade volumes with emerging markets in the Middle East, Latin America and Africa (especially West African nations like Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, and Nigeria).

This pattern has continued in 2026 with the launch of CMA CGM’s new CAGEMA service, creating a direct link between Montreal and Latin America and opening new opportunities for shippers.

Grain remains one of the strongest growth stories of the port which handled 34.3 million tons of total cargo in 2025.

“Building on the success of 2024, grain volumes have averaged 4.5 million tons over the past two years,” a port spokesperson said. “This performance reflects strong harvests across Western Canada, operational excellence at the Port, and effective collaboration among partners including Bunge, the Port’s rail and intermodal teams, and railway partners CN and CPKC.”

“Our strong grain volumes, growing trade diversification and continued progress on the Contrecoeur expansion project position the Port of Montreal for sustainable growth and reinforce our role as a key gateway for Canadian trade,” stated Paul Bird, who in June became president and CEO of the Montreal Port Authority following a corporate upheaval period punctuated by the abrupt departure in April of Julie Gascon. For Bird, it has amounted to a rapid return to the C-suite after leaving his key Contrecoeur shepherding post of chief commercial officer barely two months earlier.

Construction work was recently launched at the site of the Port of Montreal’s Contrecœur terminal project destined to add 1.15 million TEU to existing capacity

Advancing Contrecoeur Container Hub Project

Meanwhile, the port this past August launched the in-water construction work at the site of its Contrecœur Expansion Project destined to add 1.15 million TEU to existing capacity. This officially marked the beginning of a major phase of construction and concluded the preparatory work carried out since fall 2025.

The new phase represents an important step toward the realization of the future container terminal now slated to be operational by late 2030. It includes the construction of a working jetty, as well as the terminal wharf and its marine infrastructure. Dredging activities are scheduled to begin in 2027.

The project’s next phases will include finalizing the terminal design as well as the construction operating agreement with DP World Canada.

Estimated cost of the project 23 miles from Montreal on the St. Lawrence River has ballooned to north of C$2.3 billion.

For the broader financing package, the known commitments so far total just over C$1.4 billion emanating from the Canada Infrastructure Bank (C$1.16 billion), from Transport Canada (C$150 million), and the Quebec provincial government (C$130 million). This leaves at least C$900 million, where a considerable portion is expected to flow from the Montreal Port Authority while there are ongoing financial contribution discussions with DP World in Canada, itself a joint venture with La Caisse, Quebec’s largest pension fund.

Artist rendering of Contrecoeur completed. Credit Montreal Port Authority

Port of Halifax Broadens Markets

As 2026 was in progress, the deepwater Port of Halifax leadership team underlined its focus on shaping its future growth as “a strategic international gateway” able to handle container vessels larger than 12,000 TEU and as a strong contributor to Canada’s national trade objectives.

“As Canada seeks to double its non-US exports over the next 10 years, the Port of Halifax provides a reliable supply chain solution to the world,” emphasized Fulvio Fracassi, President and CEO of the Halifax Port Authority (HPA).

Last year, trade with key target markets experienced measurable growth: China (+24%), India (+11%), Turkey (+19%), Indonesia (+49%), Japan (+30%). Among the port’s leading trading partners, Asia comes first at 44%, followed by Europe (34%), Latin America/Caribbean (10%) and North America (9%).

Container cargo is handled at two full-service terminals at PSA Halifax Atlantic Hub and Fairview Cove. Double stacked rail service by CN to Montreal, Toronto, the U.S. Midwest and beyond offers fast, reliable reach to key inland markets in one to three days.

The port’s annual statistics showed a 10.4% decline in total traffic to 8.6million tons and a marginal drop in container cargo to 502,000 TEU in 2025. Port officials indicated that global geopolitical pressures, shipping alliance shifts and economic uncertainties continued to impact results.

This past May, two new electric rail-mounted gantry (RMG) cranes were delivered at PSA Halifax’s Atlantic Hub terminal, introducing the first remotely operated yard equipment at the Nova Scotia port. The cranes fall within a multi-year C$105 million Inter-Terminal Rail Solution Project spearheaded by the HPA and Transport Canada’s National Trade Corridors fund. Greater automation at Halifax terminals is presently a major sensitive subject under contract discussions between the local unit of the International Longshoremen’s Association and the Halifax Employers Association.

Aerial view of Port Saint John where major infrastructure completion has markedly expanded container capacity. Photo Courtesy of Saint John Port Authority

Port Saint John Container Growth Accelerates

At New Brunswick’s Port Saint John in the Bay of Fundy, Craig Bell Estabrooks, president and CEO, has expressed much enthusiasm over recent developments.

When last year’s full results were recently released, he declared: “2025 was a defining year for Port Saint John. With our West Side Modernization Project complete, we have the capacity, partnerships, and diversified cargo base needed to support long-term growth and help move Canadian trade to global markets.”

The completion of the $247 million West Side Modernization Project delivered expanded terminal capacity, a new berth, strengthened intermodal connections, and the ability to handle more than four times the previous container volumes.

In 2025, containerised cargo handled by DP World Saint John surged by nearly 30% to 239,364 TEU alongside 25.4 million metric tonnes of liquid bulk, 1.3 million metric tonnes of dry bulk. Five years ago, container volume stood at 87,000 TEU.

Other highlights have seen Port Saint John join the Gemini Cooperation network and break ground on Americold’s $100 million import-export hub, further boosting the port’s role in temperature-controlled, agri-food, breakbulk, and containerised trade.

Leo Ryan

CANADA CORRESPONDENT

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Based in Montreal, the historic biggest Canadian gateway for North Atlantic trade, veteran journalist Leo Ryan has extensive experience as a reporter on national and international shipping, trade, political and economic developments – with strong focus in recent years on Canada-US relations and maritime/multimodal developments on Canada’s East, West and Arctic coasts as well as the binational Great Lakes-St. Lawrence corridor.

While completing a post-graduate degree in Eastern European history amidst the expansion of the Soviet Bloc, he began his career with The Montreal Star as general reporter before moving to Paris where he spent 17 years - first as Africadesk editor for the English service of Agence France Presse. Then, he built a substantial freelance network among English-language newspapers – including The Globe and Mail - as a special foreign correspondent, on a wide variety of reporting assignments in Eastern and Western Europe as well as Africa.

It was during this period, too, that he began writing on European port and economic subjects for New York’s Journal of Commerce. The latter subsequently hired him to establish in Montreal the first full-time JOC bureau in Canada, which remained open for 14 years. A highlight was an exclusive interview in 1988 with Prime Minister Brian Mulroney on the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement.

As well Canada Correspondent for AJOT, Leo Ryan is today Editor of Maritime Magazine, a bilingual Canadian quarterly. He is the recipient of the Medal of Merit of the Association of Canadian Port Authorities.