MONTREAL, Oct. 29, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Cargo Montréal (CargoM), the logistics and transportation metropolitan cluster of Montreal, welcomes the announcement of an agreement in principle between Canada and European Union (EU), from which the ensuing increase in trade flow will benefit Greater Montreal, Quebec and Canada.
Greater Montreal is the European Union's gateway of choice because of its strategic geographic location, the strength of existing trade and links, and how effectively this hub provides access to a pool of 40 million consumers in less than one day by truck. The hub's effectiveness is due to: the presence of four modes of cargo transport (air, marine, rail and road) and the intermodal options they offer; an innovative logistics community firmly in place; and the expertise of professionals in logistics and freight transportation.
The Honourable Edward Fast, Federal Minister of International Trade, stated on October 24 at a conference at the Montreal Port Authority that this historic agreement will mean growth for the country by providing access to 500 million consumers.
Nicolas Marceau, Quebec Minister of Finance and the Economy, also gave his support to the prospective free trade agreement, stating: "This is a major agreement for Quebec that will create thousands of jobs and lead to an increase in our exports to the 28 countries of the European Union." These movements of goods will of necessity use the hub of Greater Montreal, thereby benefiting the logistics and transportation industry.
CargoM, current actions:
These announcements are timely for CargoM's activities, whose first three working groups (already in progress) will provide solutions, tools and measures to promote increased trade and ease cargo flow.
The current working groups are:
Working Group 1 - Opportunities for sector development - Projects underway are making it possible to compile detailed documentation on spaces, incentives and assets to support and develop the business of transportation and logistics in Greater Montreal.
Working Group 2 - Communication and outreach - The various projects underway include familiarizing the general public with the process of transporting goods, putting together a series of practical guides for industry professionals to provide information on all the opportunities in Greater Montreal, and lastly, the results of the study on the industry's profile should be available by the end of 2013.
Working Group 3- Access and fluidity for truck transportation - Two sub-projects are being conducted: one making it possible to obtain accurate measurements of the travel time from major intermodal centres in Greater Montreal; the other focusing on innovative operating practices and technologies that facilitate transit time and the flow of goods.
Working groups to be launched in 2014
Working Group 4 - Best practices and technology - The objective will be to adopt and integrate best practices that promote the competitiveness of the logistics and transportation industry while meeting sustainable development goals.
Working Group 5 - Regulations - The objective will be to identify which regulatory elements should be harmonized or simplified to facilitate operations in our sector, as well as to open up avenues of reflection on international regulations and their impact on the operation of our activities.
Working Group 6 - Workforce - The objective will be to identify needs and implement programs, initiatives and solutions to develop, attract and retain new professionals.
Upcoming event:
On January 21, 2014, CargoM is organizing a symposium on the logistics hub as a structuring tool. More details will be available shortly on the CargoM website.
Chaired by Sylvie Vachon, President and General Manager of the Montreal Port Authority, CargoM has a mission to gather all the stakeholders in Greater Montreal's logistics and transportation of goods industry, whose activities promote the sustainable economic development of the hub of Montreal, around common goals and concerted actions to increase its influence and competitiveness.
For more information on CargoM, please consult its website at www.cargo-montreal.ca.
CargoM activities are financially supported by the ministère des Finances et de l'Économie (MFE), the ministère du Conseil exécutif (MCE), the Montreal Metropolitan Community (MMC) and all of its members. The list of CargoM members is available at http://www.cargo-montreal.ca/fr/membres.php.
SOURCE: CargoM
Magali Amiel
Project Manager, CargoM
514 508-2609, Ext. 223
[email protected]
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