Port of Portland will continue providing container shipping services at Terminal 6, keeping Oregon’s only international container terminal open.
The decision follows Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek’s announcement that she will include two critical items in her 2025-27 biennial budget that directly affect marine cargo service at T6:
- Capital investments at the terminal
- Channel maintenance costs in the lower Columbia River
Kotek also announced support for operational stop-gap funding from the Oregon Emergency Board this fall.
Despite the Port of Portland’s decision to halt container operations around a month ago, container operations at T6 will continue thanks to new state funding.
“We’re grateful for Governor Kotek’s declaration of support, and her commitment to maintaining this important piece of our economy,” said Port of Portland Executive Director Curtis Robinhold. “We are also extremely grateful for the strong backing from a bipartisan group of legislators who recognize the value of trade to businesses and communities throughout our state. With the support of the Oregon Legislature, container shipping at Terminal 6 will continue, along with the benefits it provides for Oregon businesses and the quality jobs it provides for our community.”
The US Port has been working to rebuild container service since taking over the operation in 2018, following a temporary shutdown under former operator International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI). Without state support or a financially acceptable third-party lease, box operations have not been sustainable and, as a result, in April, the Port announced that container service would cease in October.
This announcement generated a wave of advocacy from local businesses, legislators and other Oregonians, which inspired new interest from the state to maintain the service at T6. In a letter to the Port, Gov. Kotek indicated her support for ensuring the service – as well as the jobs, tax revenue and other public benefits it provides for Oregon – remains available into the future.
“After the Port of Portland’s April announcement that container service would end this October, I heard from scores of producers throughout Oregon that relied on Terminal 6 to ship their goods,” Gov. Kotek said. “Having represented the Port’s home district in the Oregon Legislature for many years, I understand that the terminal’s location makes container operations at Terminal 6 economically challenging. In response, I am proposing to invest US$40 million in state funds to allow container service to continue and communicate my expectations for reliable and sustainable service moving forward.”
The proposal includes US$35 million in the governor’s 2025-27 recommended budget and US$5 million in operational support from the Oregon Emergency Board in September.
Gov. Kotek’s funding proposal is expected to relieve short-and longer-term cost pressures for the Port. The investments will allow the Port to continue weathering short-term deficits from container operations while continuing to identify operational efficiencies and a lasting, workable lease agreement with a third-party operator.
As part of the proposal, the Port of Portland will be required to report progress on operation improvements and volume growth.
Chief Trade and Economic Development Officer of Port of Portland, Keith Leavitt stated, “Gov. Kotek’s support for investing in marine container operations is a game changer, demonstrating the state’s political will to provide ongoing support for international container service and the countless benefits it provides. The container business is bipartisan and statewide in its impact, and I want to thank Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis, who has also been instrumental in getting us to this critical point.”
The governor’s proposal also has the support of key Port partners, including International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), which represents many workers at T6, as well as Harbor Industrial, which leads stevedoring operations at the container terminal.
