The stagnation of traffic on the St. Lawrence River is analysed by comparing with other groups of ports on the continent, using a gateway reference model proposed here and following the same guidelines established by J. Bird for Anyport. The characteristics of a gateway relate to the nature of traffic, a rich foreland, multi-modal connections with the hinterland, and what A.Vigarié calls a « polyfunctional cross-roads of exchange ». This reveals major trends at the continental level. While the negative evolution of the St. Lawrence gateway is not the strongest, the competition is important. The principal North American river gateway — in tonnage, but not in monetary value — is not on the Atlantic, but in the Gulf of Mexico. The gateway function of the St. Lawrence is scattered along the river.