Did you know that nearly 80% of all merchandise and imported products enter directly through the Montreal Port, making it one of the most important global commercial hubs and leading economic forces in the Greater Montreal area, Quebec, Ontario, and the rest of Canada?
Tied to over 140 countries, the Montreal Port receives the vast majority of merchandise arriving from Europe (56% of its turnover) and Italy, Canada’s 8th trade partner. In 2021, bilateral trade between the two countries totaled 13.1 billion CAD, which represents an annual sum of 1.3M tons, a 3% increase over the three previous years.
With the return of pre-pandemic levels in international trade, the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Canada (ICCC) discussed with Guillaume Brossard (pictured above), Vice-President of Development, Marketing and International Relations at l’Administration portuaire de Montréal (APM).
In his role, Guillaume Brossard is actively involved in the strategic planning, vision and implementation of the APM’s growth and development.
Among him and his team’s responsibilities are the maintenance of business partnerships and relationships with port users, as well as marketing services for the many companies involved in the port’s ecosystem. His main task is to promote the port’s long list of merits by sharing the latter with local businesses, as well as throughout Quebec, Ontario, and the Midwestern United-States.
He is constantly in touch with national maritime and freight lines that serve the port’s various installations in order to discuss markets that can be further developed together. His team also frequently touches base with large ship owners looking to diversify their transit route or entry and exit points into North America.
“One of the main goals I work towards is continuing to enhance the Port’s position and relations on an international level by promoting its positive impact on both Canada and Quebec’s economy in order to make it a reference point in business circles the world over. The Port carries out a large number of exchanges with Europe and Asia but wishes to further develop maritime connections with other continents such as Africa and South America and my mandate is to make the Port a “top of mind” choice internationally.” – Guillaume Brossard
In order to bring his project to fruition, Mr. Brossard and his team travel the world – the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and the United States – to meet with partners, clients and users and discuss their needs in terms of the Port’s assets, such as its unique installations, innovative technology, and dedication to sustainable development.
What makes the Port particularly unique is its setup allowing for the unloading and reloading of ships in one place, on top of being connected to an integrated logistical network consisting of Canada’s most important freight carriers (CN and CP), Canadian and cross-border truckers, dispatchers, trucking companies and container terminal operators. The Port also manages all on-site railways and is the only port offering such services in North America, which explains how it was able to avoid the congestion issues that other ports were experiencing during the pandemic and post-pandemic periods.
For Mr. Brossard, these benefits represent an undeniable leg-up on other ports when it comes to attracting potential clients. Significant cuts in costs and time combined with increased efficiency are paramount to businesses who themselves need to get merchandise rapidly and effectively to their own clients.
A Leader in Innovation and Sustainable Development
The Montreal Port is also ahead of its time in terms of technology, taking advantage of the city’s unparalleled ecosystem to develop the technological tools it needs to improve its practices and benefit from immediate positive impacts. Such benefits include better logistics management, increased power efficiency, finer time management, and a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, which undeniably benefits nearing communities.
This commitment to sustainable development and the integration of better practices has given the Port the chance to positively influence its counterparts on the world stage while also setting it apart from other destinations. Its unique opportunities continue to attract clients and users who choose the Port to align themselves with their own customers’ philosophies and values.
