Oregon officials pledge support for continued container services at Terminal 6

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Oregon officials are making a final push to keep the state’s only international container terminal open.

In mid-April, the Port of Portland revealed Terminal 6 would end container services on Oct. 1 after extensive efforts to consider other options and secure more funding from the state.

In a letter shared on Tuesday, six Oregon legislators — Reps. Janelle Bynum, Kim Wallan, Lucetta Elmer, Travis Nelson and Ed Diehl, and Sen. Lew Frederick — pledged their support for continued container operations.

According to the officials, the Portland terminal garners about $20 million in tax revenue each year and supports 1500 jobs.

“Oregon’s agriculture sector stands to feel the most pain if the terminal closes international container services, as our state’s biggest export products include hay and animal feed, grass seed, grains and vegetables,” lawmakers wrote to Port Executive Director Curtis Robinhold.

Toward the end of 2022, the Port announced a total of $42 million would go toward infrastructure upgrades at the site. Legislators cited these grants in the letter, claiming the decision to stop container handling at Terminal 6 “undermines these investments.”

Robinhold previously indicated the terminal was facing a shutdown in January when he disclosed an annual operating loss of $14 million. He also requested a $10 million investment from Oregon lawmakers.

The Port was considering a third-party lease to keep container services going, but Chief Trade and Economic Development Officer Keith Leavitt recently told “industry stakeholders” the plan wouldn’t go forward.

Officials are now planning to help the port “find a sustainable financial model” for the terminal.

“Already businesses across all sectors — both large and small — are calculating the potential costs of alternative transport arrangements should the international terminal close. Time is of the essence as companies are finalizing service contracts for the upcoming year, and businesses across the state face new uncertainty caused by these sudden developments,” the letter said.