Six years after signing their first international cooperation agreement, the Port of Montreal and HAROPA PORT announced their renewal of this agreement, the primary objective of which is to strengthen the trade corridors between Canada and France. The agreement was signed on April 28 by Martin Imbleau, President and Chief Executive Officer of the MPA, and Stéphane Raison, CEO of HAROPA PORT, on the occasion of an official mission to Paris by the Mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante.
As two of the leading ports in the Francophonie, the Montreal Port Authority and HAROPA PORT share many traits and similarities, notably their geographic location at the core of a supply chain corridor and in close proximity to major commercial and industrial areas.
To consolidate their relationship, engage in deliberations, initiate actions and promote mutually beneficial approaches, the international cooperation agreement signed between the two port authorities focuses on the following five pillars:
- Commercialization and development of logistics clusters outside port territory
To strengthen their commercial positioning as maritime transit platforms and privileged entry and exit points for traffic between North America and Europe, the two authorities will jointly work on exchanging business intelligence, strategies for deploying port-related infrastructure, market and sector analysis, and a joint marketing strategy.
- Energy efficiency and sustainable development
To engage in deliberations and implement actions for the sustainable management of port spaces, the MPA and HAROPA PORT will work on investments and initiatives for increasing energy efficiency, and even developing new industries and energy sectors.
- Long-term viability of infrastructure and innovations
These actions focus on positioning port systems for the future, increasing their resilience by strengthening support for technology and digital techniques to improve the passage of goods, the quality of customer service, and integration into the territories.
- Job attractiveness and diversity
By promoting the creation of academic bridges in university circles as well as regular professional exchanges, this pillar aims to make occupations more attractive and address recruitment tensions in the sector.
- Collaboration between port authorities and trade corridors
In the wake of the three Seine Axis port authorities merging into HAROPA PORT and the cooperation agreement between the ports on the St. Lawrence, this pillar involves sharing best practices and identifying winning conditions, in turn fostering implementation of a concerted approach between ports that will enhance the maritime trade ecosystem as a whole.
“The Port of Montreal and HAROPA PORT enjoy privileged trade links that have been greatly strengthened since the entry into force of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the European Union. In addition to our historic relationship, our two port authorities share similar geographic realities, the same challenges for the future, and a drive for complementary broad-based collaboration,” said Martin Imbleau, President and Chief Executive Officer of the MPA.
“The renewal of this agreement is an important signal to strengthen cooperation and exchanges between two very similar ecosystems, the Seine Axis and the St. Lawrence. We hope to be able to put in place a number of innovative initiatives that will serve to green transport between France and Canada and provide our clients and partners with a decarbonized logistics services,” said Stéphane Raison, CEO of HAROPA PORT.