The Port of Montreal says trade with China is surging amid the U.S. tariff war and despite tensions with Beijing, even as overall volumes slip.
In a release, the country’s second-biggest port says shipments to China rose 22% year-over-year in the first half of 2025.
The boost has made China the port’s second-largest export partner versus fifth-largest in 2024.
The Port of Montreal says the spike stems largely from U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war that has hit both Canada and China.
The increase also comes in spite of tensions that saw Beijing roll out tariffs on Canadian agricultural products such as canola and pork in March in retaliation for the 100% surtax Canada imposed on Chinese electric vehicle imports last year.
However, the trade war is taking a toll on shipments overall, with the port reporting total cargo volumes have fallen by more than 2%.
Statistics Canada says Canadian exports to the United States sagged nearly 16% month-over-month in April amid the tariffs, even though the vast majority of southbound Canadian shipments are exempt.
Montreal Port Authority CEO Julie Gascon says higher volumes to Asia, Europe and Latin America this year show how the port can connect businesses to markets across the globe amid a shaky trade relationship with the U.S.
While the port authority acknowledged the dip in total shipments, it did not specify the cargo categories or countries where that decrease occurred. Meanwhile, Montreal dockworkers and the Maritime Employers Association remain in arbitration over a new contract after their collective agreement expired in 2023.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2025.
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