MONTREAL, Que. — The Port of Montreal enjoyed a record year in 2007, thanks largely to a 9.4% increase in container traffic.

The port’s consolidated traffic volumes reached a record 26 million tonnes in 2007, a 3.6% increase over the previous year.

“We are pleased with our performance,” said Patrice M. Pelletier, president and CEO, Montreal Port Authority. “My team and I are now focused on finding innovative and proactive ways to accelerate growth, and we anticipate that containers will be the cornerstone of an overall strategy that helps the port remain our clients’ preferred choice on the North American East Coast.”

General cargo, including containerized and non-containerized freight, was up 7.6% in 2007. Containerized cargo alone was up 9.4% reaching 12.4 million tonnes. The port authority noted that shipping lines were adding capacity to keep up with demand.

Liquid bulk shipments were also up through the Montreal port. In fact, it was the best year in two decades for liquid bulk shipments, consisting of petroleum, liquid asphalt, ethanol and alcohol. Meanwhile dry bulk shipments were down slightly in 2007, totaling 5.5 million tonnes a 2.1% decline from the previous year.