Portland port drafts plan to maintain Terminal 6 container service

Port of Portland officials last week delivered a plan for maintaining container service at Oregon’s only international container terminal, Terminal 6 (T6), to Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek.

Kotek requested the plan following her pledge in May to include capital investments for the terminal and Columbia River channel maintenance costs in her 2025-27 biennial budget, port officials said in a press release. 

Industry experts and key stakeholders heavily backed the report, which emphasized how critical T6 is to the local economy and workforce. The port has been trying to rebuild container service since taking over the operation of T6 in 2018, following a temporary shutdown under former operator ICTSI.

The report illustrates how essential marine container shipping at T6 is to Oregon businesses, and in its findings, underscores the need for public investment to keep container shipping in service while the port continues seeking a third-party operator.

The port also announced that it negotiated new rates with container shipping companies serving the terminal and fee reductions with its stevedore for container operations, Harbor Industrial.

Even with new business initiatives, state funding will be needed to get the terminal to operational stability, port officials said. Kotek has proposed $40 million investment to retain container service at T6. The funding would need to be approved by legislators in September and during the 2025 legislative session.

To read the plan, click here.