Looking back at the Port of Portland’s maritime trade statistics and industrial development projects over the past year, two notable trends emerged: increased export activity and facility investment.
With the successful start of Ford vehicle exports to China and Korea, increased demand for mineral exports, investment in new ship loaders, and a $40 million expansion of Columbia Grain’s Terminal 5 grain facility, the outlook for increased export volume looks promising.
Today, Portland is one of the top auto handling ports in the U.S., the largest mineral export gateway on the U.S. West Coast and the largest wheat export hub in the U.S.
While tonnage was down slightly for the calendar year, the Port finished 2013 with one of the highest volume months in recent history with 1.3 million tons handled in December and posted fiscal year gains at the halfway point that bode well for the year ahead.
On the labor front, a jurisdictional dispute was resolved at the container terminal through direct involvement from Governor Kitzhaber. The Port and its terminal operator, ICTSI Oregon, await a pending decision by Hanjin Shipping on whether the carrier will continue to call Portland. Full import containers were up 13.3% in 2013.
On the landside, expansion projects, new construction and pending development projects at the Port’s marine terminals, industrial parks and other properties are yielding private investment, short and long term employment opportunities and economic benefits for the region.
The Port decided to withdraw its consent to annex West Hayden Island when it became clear that the City’s mitigation requirements were not proportionate to potential development impacts and would price any developable land out of the market. Despite this outcome, industrial land remains a critical part of the Port’s strategic plan.
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Press Release, February 5, 2014