The Union maritime et Portuaire de France added Brest and Toulon to its ranks on Wednesday in La Rochelle, as the port federation used its annual meeting to approve a major overhaul of its structure and reach. The move gives the UMPF, which was built 20 years ago around 13 unions, a wider base as it prepares to push its case in France and beyond.
Francis Grimaud, who presided over the ordinary general assembly, said the group was reaffirming its role for the economic actors that work on France’s ports. “L’UMPF confirme aujourd’hui son rôle fédérateur pour l’ensemble des acteurs économiques œuvrant sur nos places portuaires. Notre nouvelle structure nous permet de porter avec plus de force les enjeux de compétitivité et de souveraineté, en métropole comme en outre-mer,” he said.
The meeting in La Rochelle validated the federation’s changes, including the creation in 2025 of its first permanent operational structure dedicated to animation and public affairs. It also approved a bylaws amendment creating a new category of associate members and marked the signing of an addendum to a cooperation protocol with the Association Nationale des Ports Maritimes Territoriaux. That deal provides for systematic information sharing, joint actions and privileged access to events organized by the two groups.
The UMPF’s expansion matters because it comes as shipping and logistics chains remain vulnerable and ports have become part of the debate over national resilience. The federation has also leaned on its Outre-Mer commission, chaired by Philippe Leleu of the Union Maritime de La Réunion, which has worked on anti-drug trafficking efforts, decarbonization issues and the future of the port of Longoni in Mayotte.
Brest enters that project under the presidency of Laurent Caudal, alongside Toulon, which is led by Philippe Garo. The federation said it wants to attract other maritime communities during the year, and it is also preparing a European-level push in 2026 to defend the attractiveness, fluidity and competitiveness of port cities. After Wednesday’s vote, the question is no longer whether the UMPF is widening its footprint, but how far that broader coalition can carry its agenda in the year ahead.
