A mission-critical link in Canada’s supply chain, the Port of Montreal supports 589,364 jobs and generates $93.5 billion in economic activity through its service users. These figures from a Martin Associates economic study confirm the importance of the Port of Montreal to the Canadian and Quebec economies, where 3.5% of national GDP and 10% of Quebec GDP are due in part to the business activities driven by the 36 million metric tons (tonnes) of cargo that moved through the Port in 2022.
The Economic Impacts of the Port of Montreal study conducted by Martin Associates measures the impacts of cargo-related activities at the Port of Montreal on the economies of Canada and Quebec. The purpose of the study is to quantify the economic impacts generated by the handling of 36+ million tonnes of cargo at the Port’s marine terminals in 2022.
Number of direct, indirect and induced jobs, including businesses that depend on or provide services to the marine terminals: 37,774, at an average salary of $78,721 (direct jobs)
Economic benefits: $2.7 billion
Tax impact from marine terminal activities: $1.5 billion
Value of goods handled at the Port of Montreal: $151.2 billion
589,364 jobs related to importers and exporters, including 267,941 in Quebec
Contribution of users to the Canadian economy: $93.5 billion, or 3.5% of GDP
Contribution of users to the Quebec economy: $54.9 billion, or about 10% of GDP
New economic impacts in Ontario and the United States
This new study also provides an overview of the economic impacts of activity in Ontario and the United States, where the Port of Montreal serves as the main gateway to the heart of North America. For Ontario, goods transiting through the Port supported:
154,774 user jobs
$18.9 billion in total economic value, or 2% of Ontario’s GDP
Highlights — Ontario
5,181 direct, induced and indirect jobs
$370.2 million in economic benefits
$208.1 million in tax impact
Highlights — United States
2,020 direct, induced and indirect jobs
$145.3 million in economic benefits
$82.3 million in tax impact
Methodology
For this study, Martin Associates used a methodology and definitions to measure the economic impacts of seaport activities at more than 700 ports in the U.S. and Canada over the past 38 years. The resulting economic impacts were based on a telephone survey of members of each of the economic sectors providing services to vessel and cargo activity at the Port, for a total of 1,100 interviews with 800 companies.
Other published data include data from Statistics Canada and Revenue Canada as well as the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Tax Foundation, and the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances.
