Import-export companies back Quebec port's Laurentia project

More than 100 companies have given their support to the development of Laurentia, the Port of Quebec's deepwater container terminal project that, when completed, will create a new supply chain for Quebec and Eastern Canadian importers and exporters, port officials said this week.

Operated by Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) and CN, the Quebec Container Terminal will open in early 2024. The terminal will provide shippers with improved access to traditional markets in Europe and the Mediterranean, as well as expanding markets in Southeast Asia.

The project includes a wharf with a 52-foot water depth, capacity to accommodate 13,000 20-foot-equivalent unit container ships and a direct connection to CN's rail network.

"This project ties into CN's unique transcontinental railroad that spans three coasts, providing import and export companies with access to markets across Canada and the U.S. Midwest," said CN President and Chief Executive Officer JJ Ruest. "This will encourage growth and economic development, creating jobs and supporting the recovery of the economy while enabling supply chains and providing new options for the movement of consumer goods."

With the Laurentia, the Quebec City area will serve as a hub for intermodal transportation across the continent, said Quebec Port Authority President and CEO Mario Girard.

"To have already received the support of a hundred import-export companies is further tangible proof of the need for Laurentia in the Quebec City region, but also for our province and our country."