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Last year, the Port of Seattle handled 6.4 million metric tons of grain, a 20 percent increase compared with 2007 volume and a new annual record.

The increase was driven by strong demand in China, Japan and other Asian nations for corn, soybeans and sorghum, and an ample grain supply in the United States, according to the port.

Virtually all of the grain flowing through the port is grown in the upper Midwest and railed to Seattle. Served by BNSF Railway Co. and Union Pacific Railroad, the port operates a 40-acre terminal that can handle 4 million bushels of grain.

“Our port remains a viable and competitive gateway for the export of grain grown in the upper Midwest,” said the port’s Managing Director Charlie Sheldon in a prepared statement.