当前位置：新闻动态
Portland container traffic rebounds after labour dispute
来源：shippingazette 编辑：编辑部 发布：2023/02/20 14:25:12
SHIPPING container traffic through the Port of Portland has bounced back over the last three years, reports the Oregonian.
Portland's container volume was at its highest point last year since 2013, with 171,000 TEU passing in or out of Portland last year.
That's half of the peak activity Portland recorded in the 1990s, but is in line with container volumes in the years prior to the labour strife.
Portland's comeback is because of years of fence-mending, and from growing congestion at other west coast ports.
"Portland provides a great option versus trucking it a long way," said Port of Portland COO Dan Pippenger.
Portland made global news in 2015 amid a dispute between the port's terminal operator, ICTSI Oregon, and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union.
It dated to a 2012 fight over which union was responsible for unplugging and monitoring refrigerated containers.
The union accused ICTSI of abusive management practices and the terminal operator accusing longshoremen of deliberately slowing work.
The pace of activity at the port ground to a crawl and major shipping lines pulled together.
"I personally have lived through enough National Labour Relations Board subpoenas to last me a lifetime," said Mr Pippenger.
It then recruited South Korean carrier SM Line to resume weekly container shipping through Portland beginning in 2020.
Initial expectations were modest, but Mr Pippenger declared the supply-chain crunch that accompanied the Covid crisis changed the equation.
"The supply chain challenges really opened everybody's eyes to the opportunity Portland provides," said Mr Pippenger.
"They were really pleased with the service they got, and that led to more calls."
Container traffic in Portland tripled over the past two years.
Mr Pippenger stated the port doesn't anticipate much growth this year, though, given the cooling global economy and ongoing uncertainty in China.
"Everything is softening in the transpacific trade right now," said Mr Pippenger.
"Labour productivity is very high, and there's no drama. Having SM Line in and showing it can work was very important to showing other carriers and shippers that Portland was back on the map."
Portland's container volume was at its highest point last year since 2013, with 171,000 TEU passing in or out of Portland last year.
That's half of the peak activity Portland recorded in the 1990s, but is in line with container volumes in the years prior to the labour strife.
Portland's comeback is because of years of fence-mending, and from growing congestion at other west coast ports.
"Portland provides a great option versus trucking it a long way," said Port of Portland COO Dan Pippenger.
Portland made global news in 2015 amid a dispute between the port's terminal operator, ICTSI Oregon, and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union.
It dated to a 2012 fight over which union was responsible for unplugging and monitoring refrigerated containers.
The union accused ICTSI of abusive management practices and the terminal operator accusing longshoremen of deliberately slowing work.
The pace of activity at the port ground to a crawl and major shipping lines pulled together.
"I personally have lived through enough National Labour Relations Board subpoenas to last me a lifetime," said Mr Pippenger.
It then recruited South Korean carrier SM Line to resume weekly container shipping through Portland beginning in 2020.
Initial expectations were modest, but Mr Pippenger declared the supply-chain crunch that accompanied the Covid crisis changed the equation.
"The supply chain challenges really opened everybody's eyes to the opportunity Portland provides," said Mr Pippenger.
"They were really pleased with the service they got, and that led to more calls."
Container traffic in Portland tripled over the past two years.
Mr Pippenger stated the port doesn't anticipate much growth this year, though, given the cooling global economy and ongoing uncertainty in China.
"Everything is softening in the transpacific trade right now," said Mr Pippenger.
"Labour productivity is very high, and there's no drama. Having SM Line in and showing it can work was very important to showing other carriers and shippers that Portland was back on the map."