Montréal: Hub of trade
Key role in Canada
Montréal’s geographic location, international economic agreements and state-of-the-art industrial infrastructure all make it a trade hub for shipping goods by land, rail, sea and air. The transportation and logistics sector in Greater Montréal plays a key role both in Canada and on the Eastern seaboard.
The transportation and logistics sector in Greater Montréal is:
- 62,000 jobs at 4,000 establishments
- 50% of jobs are specialized in transportation services, 31% in back-office divisions, 6% in courier and messenger services and 2% in storage and warehousing
- 1.6% annual average employment growth
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In addition to its strategic location as a bridge between North America and Europe, Montréal benefits from trade agreements, like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which ease cross-border flows of goods. NAFTA not only eliminates trade barriers, but also includes provisions in other areas:
- Easing control measures as a way of facilitating cross-border traffic
- Protecting investment and intellectual property
- Certifying goods
Research centres for optimizing the industry
Various research centres are working to improve transportation and logistics in Greater Montréal, including: