MONTREAL, March 26, 2026 /CNW/ - The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) is pleased to announce that, as of March 31, the Port of Montreal has been added as a call in the rotation of CMA CGM's CAGEMA shipping service, providing a direct connection between Montreal and the Latin American market. This new service represents a significant strategic milestone for the Port of Montreal and its partners.
Already active in Latin American markets, the Port of Montreal is further strengthening its connectivity through this new direct container service. The addition of the CAGEMA service will enhance the Port's competitiveness, diversify the markets it serves, and create new export opportunities for Canadian businesses.
This service will also benefit from a relay via Port Liberty in New York, where CMA CGM connects to nine direct services to India, Turkey, the Mediterranean, Oceania, Asia, and the Middle East. In addition, the new service will support the direct import of fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, reducing reliance on U.S. East Coast ports while increasing cargo volumes handled at the Port.
Strengthened partnership
With its Canadian headquarters located in Montreal, CMA CGM is a long-standing partner of the Port of Montreal and is already well established on the Northern Europe and Mediterranean trades. The Group is now expanding its Montreal offering by extending its services to Latin America.
The new CAGEMA service will connect the Port of Montreal to Latin America on a weekly basis and will include five vessels in rotation--CMA CGM Aristote, CMA CGM Homere, CMA CGM Surabaya, CMA CGM Kailas and CMA CGM Balboa--calling at seven ports.
We look forward to welcoming the first vessel, the CMA CGM Surabaya, on its Maiden Voyage to Montreal expected on March 29.
Latin American market at a glance
Latin America represents a dynamic and growing market for the Port of Montreal, accounting for 5% of its total traffic. In 2025, a total of 638,000 tonnes (close to 70,000 TEUs--twenty-foot equivalent units) of cargo were handled, representing a 12% increase compared to the previous year, including a significant 36% rise in imports.
Key trading partners include Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Ecuador. Cargo handled includes newsprint, meat products, coffee, lentils, chemicals and fruit.
Quotes
"We are very pleased to welcome CMA CGM's CAGEMA service in Montreal and thank them for their continued confidence. The addition of the Port of on this service to and from Latin America marks an important step forward. It allows us to diversify our markets, offer more options to our exporters, and strengthen the resilience of our supply chains, while facilitating access to Canadian and international markets thanks to our strategic location," said Julie Gascon, President and CEO of the Montreal Port Authority.
"The integration of the Port of Montreal into our CAGEMA service enables us to offer an even more efficient and direct logistics solution between the Canadian market and the rest of the world. This new service will support trade growth while providing our customers--both exporters and importers--with greater reliability, flexibility and speed. It also reflects our commitment to supporting our partners' economic development and building more resilient supply chains," said Adeline Franger Chouraqui, CEO of CMA CGM Americas.
About the Port of Montreal
Operated by the Montreal Port Authority (MPA), the Port of Montreal is the largest container port in Eastern Canada and a diversified transshipment centre that handles all types of goods: containerized and non-containerized cargo, liquid bulk and dry bulk. The only container port in Quebec, it is a destination port served by the largest shipping lines in the world. It is also an intermodal hub with a service offering that is unique in North America, featuring its own rail network directly dockside connected to Canada's two national rail networks. The MPA also operates a Cruise Terminal.
The MPA factors economic, social and environmental components into its corporate initiatives. This commitment is governed by a sustainable development policy whose guiding principles focus on involvement, cooperation and accountability. Port activity supports 590,000 jobs and generates $98.5 billion in economic benefits annually.
SOURCE Administration portuaire de Montréal
Source: Renée Larouche, Director, Communications, Montreal Port Authority, [email protected], Phone: 514 531-2410
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