A year after Hervé Martel’s visit to Canada, as the President of HAROPA, the Montreal port Authority and HAROPA have signed an international cooperation agreement on the occasion of the Sister Ports Conferences which took place in Paris, Rouen and Le Havre from September 4th to September 6th, 2017.
This agreement comes within a particular framework; the entry into force, on September 21st of the Global Economic and Trade Agreement (‘Accord Economique et Commercial Global’ – AECG -) aiming to develop and facilitate trade between the European Union and Canada.
The agreement was signed on 6 September 2017 in the lounges of the Le Havre Townhall, by Hervé Martel, HAROPA President and Sylvie Vachon, chairwoman and CEO of the Montreal port Authority. The objective is to strengthen and extend cooperation in the various technical, sales and research/innovation sectors of port business and develop the numerous synergies between both ports
The MPA and HAROPA indeed have numerous similarities, the first of which being this configuration of ports extending along a corridor.
Three working lines identified.
The work will include thematic workshops in Montreal, Le Havre, Rouen or Paris, joint communications, sharing of market intelligence, drawing-up of joint research timetables, stage reports founded upon the exchange and working-out of exemplary practices.
1) Line 1: Inter-port governance
Exchanging better practices on models of inter-port alliances. This line will be approached according to various topics among which: – approaches of river resource management, – pilotage and dredging works service management, – social acceptability of port projects.
The exchanges and studies can be entrusted to university entities and to the partners of both parties in cooperation with the MPA and HAROPA.
2) Line 2: Sales promotion –
Organization of joint business events to be held at a frequency determined by both parties, alternately between France and Montreal. – Relay of information on the respective B2B social media platforms. – Exchange of market intelligence and completion of joint research projects according to customers’ expectations or the requirements of the trades identified by both parties. For example and without being exhaustive: modelling of supply chains, targeted market studies per sector, legal framework of trade between Canada and France.
Hervé Martel, HAROPA president: “As the leading French port system, HAROPA is very pleased about this agreement with Montreal which is, to-date, our major trade partner in Canada and our 2nd largest partner on the East-American coast, Hervé Martel said. Through the experience acquired via about thirty twinning and cooperation agreement we have signed, we know all the synergy which will be set up with Montreal and the benefits for our two ports.”
Sylvie Vachon, chairwoman and CEO of the Montreal Port Authority: Already about 40% of the goods going through the Port of Montreal come from or go to Northern Europe. The global economic and trade agreement (AECG in French) between Canada and the European Union, which will come into force on September 21st, inst. will strengthen these trade bonds and create a new favorable business environment to the growth of our trade and the structuring effects that will follow from that in our respective economies. This memorandum of understanding between HAROPA and the Montreal port Authority is signed at a significant and historic time.”
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