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Last year, the Port of Montreal handled 24.5 million tons of cargo, down 12 percent compared with 2008 volume.

Containerized cargo declined 15.4 percent to about 11.3 million tons; the number of 20-foot equivalent units decreased 15.3 percent to 1.2 million; and bulk cargo dropped 8.7 percent to a little more than 13 million tons.

However, marine grain shipping increased 14.7 percent and the grain terminal’s throughput (involving trains, ships and trucks) rose 4.4 percent to 2.4 million tons.

More recently, volumes of certain types of dry bulk cargo, such as iron ore, have increased, which “could be a harbinger of economic recovery," said Montreal Port Authority Chief Executive Sylvie Vachon in a prepared statement.