A ship loaded
with the first Ford vehicles to be exported through the Port of Portland is now
making its way across the Pacific Ocean, bound for South Korea. This initial
export shipment marks the first of many at the Auto Warehousing Company (AWC)
facility at Terminal 6 in Rivergate Industrial District.
Longshore workers
loaded the vehicles onto the M/V Morning Caroline – a ship built like a
massive, floating parking garage. The vessel had arrived in Portland with a
delivery of Hyundai vehicles and will leave carrying Fords.
Among the Ford
vehicles being shipped to South Korea is the Fusion
Hybrid – Ford’s first hybrid vehicle to be sold in the Korean market. The
Fusion Hybrid is the first of six all-new or refreshed products Ford plans to
introduce in Korea in 2012. All vehicles shipped to Korea from North America
will be shipped through the Port of Portland.
Vehicle exports
are welcome business for the Port and AWC, bringing new marine terminal
activity and adding value for the backhaul across the Pacific. A recently
signed free trade agreement with South Korea could help continue the trend.
Portland handled
the first export of American-made Hondas to Japan back in 1988, but the Port
has specialized primarily in imports since it opened Oregon’s first auto
terminal in the 1950s. Today, Portland facilities handle Hyundai, Honda and
Toyota vehicles. In 2011, 234,048 autos moved over Port of Portland docks.
Vehicle imports
and exports provide local jobs for dockworkers, processors at accessorization
facilities, and others employed in distribution and transportation throughout
the supply chain. Each vehicle imported brings an estimated economic benefit of
$278 to the region.
Besides autos,
the Port of Portland handles containers, grain, mineral bulks, breakbulk steel,
and liquid bulks. Over 13 million tons of cargo passed over the docks in 2011 –
the third best tonnage year in the Port’s history. A large portion of that
total is export cargo, supporting the President’s initiative to double U.S.
exports over the next 5 years.
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