A coalition of shipping stakeholders has delivered a business plan to Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, containing proposed measures to keep international container service running at the Port of Portland’s Terminal 6 (T6).
In April, the port had initially announced plans to shut down container intake at T6 by October, after the terminal experienced $30 million in losses over three years. That led to an outpouring of advocacy from local businesses and lawmakers, who voiced concerns over losing what’s currently Oregon’s only international container terminal. The terminal got a reprieve in May, when Governor Kotek said that she would be allocating $40 million to fund capital investments at T6, on the condition that stakeholders at the port put together a comprehensive business plan.
The consequent plan details how T6 has often struggled with container volumes, adding that the port has been negotiating with ocean carriers to increase vessel allocations at the terminal. Over the next five to seven years, the port plans to work with shippers, carriers, operators and longshoremen to double container volumes at T6 by 2032. The port also agreed in 2023
to 16-20% rate increases for carriers using the terminal.
“Making sure container service remains available for Oregonians and businesses across the region will require public and private support,” Port of Portland executive director Curtis Robinhold said in an August 23 release. “This is a critical piece of Oregon’s economy, and it urgently needs financial assistance from the state to continue to serve shippers across all of Oregon.”
More financial help could be on the horizon for T6 in Oregon’s upcoming 2025-2027 biennial budget, which includes a proposal for another $35 million to fund container operations at the terminal, and channel maintenance costs for the lower Columbia River. Those funds still need to be approved by state lawmakers in September.
