Trade with China booming amid U.S. tariff war: Port of Montreal

An aerial view shows a ship sailing past the Port of Montreal in Montreal on Thursday, Nov.14, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

MONTREAL — The Port of Montreal says trade with China is surging amid the U.S. tariff war and despite tensions with Beijing.

In a release, the country’s second-biggest port says shipments to China rose 22 per cent year-over-year in the first half of 2025.

The boost has made China the port’s second-largest export partner versus fifth-largest in 2024.

The Port of Montreal says the boost, part of a four per cent increase in total container traffic, stems largely from U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war that has hit both Canada and China.

• Latest news & updates on tariffs and the trade war here

The increase also comes despite tensions that saw Beijing roll out tariffs on Canadian agricultural products such as canola and pork in March in retaliation for the 100 per cent surtax Canada imposed on Chinese electric vehicle imports last year.

Statistics Canada says Canadian exports to the United States sagged nearly 16 per cent month-over-month in April amid the tariffs, even though the vast majority of southbound Canadian shipments are exempt.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2025.