Terminal 6 will remain a working marine terminal for other shipping needs, including automobiles and break bulk

On Monday April 15, 2024, the Port of Portland made the decision to halt container service at Terminal 6, as of October 1, 2024. The below communication was issued to Terminal 6 shippers.

April 15, 2024

Dear Industry Stakeholders,

Despite the progress and effort we have made over the last year to create a financially sustainable path for container service at Terminal 6, I am sorry to say the third-party lease we were pursuing will not go forward at this time. This was the key to keeping the container business open, as well as the rationale for our funding request with the Legislature.

The Port does not have the funding necessary to sustain the operation, and we have made the difficult decision to cease operations as of October 1, 2024. We have notified the carriers, Harbor Industrial (our stevedore), as well as our staff, and we have also notified Governor Kotek and legislative leaders. Obviously, we did not expect this outcome, but it’s important we face it quickly given contract considerations with carriers.

While this is a painful and necessary short-term decision, we learned a lot over the last year regarding the market, carrier interest and the overall economic importance of Oregon’s only container terminal. We know that this terminal is a critical statewide asset – it is worthy of further discussions to come up with a financially sustainable business model for container service that has significantly more state funding and investment. For now, we have run out of financial options and must take this step.

I want to thank all of you who have been working with us over the years to find a path forward.

Keith Leavitt 
Chief Trade and Economic Development Officer