By Karen Robes Meeks
With more than 87,000 Ford vehicles shipped out last year, the Port of Portland still reigns as the top US West Coast port for auto exports, according to the latest statistics released Monday. The port also handled up to 314,000 vehicles last year, 7.8 percent more when compared to 2016.
The Portland port is a major part in the supply chain for vehicle manufacturing. US-made cars come by rail from the assembly line to the port, where they travel on roll-on/roll-off ships headed to Asia. Import vehicles such as Hyundais, Toyotas, and Hondas come to Portland before they are distributed to dealerships across the West Coast.
“Our export boom highlights the strong demand for American-made cars in Asia,” said Keith Leavitt, the Port’s chief commercial officer. “This positive trend translates into more than 600 direct local jobs for dockworkers, processors and others working in our supply chain.”
To foster its export vehicle business, the port and its tenant Auto Warehousing Company expanded auto staging space in the Rivergate Industrial District near Terminal 6 last year.
