By Karen Robes Meeks
Bellingham Shipping Terminal will now be welcoming cargo ships on a regular basis, thanks to a new three-year service contract between the port and Ports America.
Ports America, which began talks with the port after many of its shipping customers asked about Bellingham Shipping Terminal, will have under the new contract “exclusive stevedoring rights for certain types of steel as well as inbound international forest products, metal/aluminum ingots, modules, oversized and project cargoes,” according to the port.
“There is a great deal favoring the Bellingham Shipping Terminal,” said Ports America Director of Breakbulk and Project Cargo Bart Goedhard. “In addition to abundant berth space, warehouse and laydown space, the terminal is near major cities, has a dedicated truck corridor to I-5 and has close proximity to rail.”
This is a major turning point for the Bellingham Shipping Terminal, said Port Commission President Ken Bell.
“As the last Pacific Northwest seaport between the United States and Canada, it was only a matter of time before cargo operators recognized the Bellingham Shipping Terminal as a congestion-free alternative to the docks and terminals serving Vancouver and Seattle,” Bell said. “Increased cargo activity at the Bellingham Shipping Terminal will create jobs and stimulate economic activity throughout Whatcom County.”
