Oregon Relaunches Its Only Container Terminal After Scheduled Closing

Officials gathered on January 7 at the Port of Portland, Oregon, to mark what they are calling a fresh start for a reborn container shipping terminal. The only one in the state, the small facility known for years as Terminal 6, had faced an imminent closure due to mounting financial losses and the lack of an operator.

Oregon’s Governor Tina Kotek intervened to save the operation while highlighting its critical contribution to the state’s economy and local businesses. The state committed to providing $40 million to bridge the operations while a new operator was located. It also committed to infrastructure improvements for a port that is located far upriver from the ocean.

The new lessee/operator, Harbor Industrial Services, assumed control of the operation on January 1, 2026, and renamed Terminal 6 to become the Oregon Container Terminal. The company has a seven-year lease with four renewal options, each for five years. It also purchased the facilities' seven cranes.

Like many smaller ports, the container operation in Portland faced a range of challenges, which made it difficult to attract carriers. Its location limits the size of vessels and requires more transit time. It is also a smaller economic market driven primarily by agriculture and some manufacturing. The terminal had also found itself caught in a labor jurisdiction dispute that ultimately saw the prior operator walk away, leaving the port attempting to run the terminal on its own.

Portland once had seven carriers operating from the port, but it is now down to two carriers, with the regular service limited to South Korea’s SM Line. The new operator, however, looks to follow the state's plans for strong growth at the terminal and said during yesterday’s ceremony that a third carrier is likely to join soon. It hinted that it would be MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, which had previously operated from Terminal 6. The port lost most of its carriers in the 2015-2016 timeframe. It had enjoyed a small resurgence during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing an alternative to congested and backup ports on the Pacific Coast.

Harbor International said it wants to double the cargo shipments this year handled at the terminal. It plans to focus on Oregon shippers, which would otherwise have to truck goods to ports such as Seattle. As a first step, the company announced that as of January 16, the container terminal will be handling imports and exports five days a week, up from the current four days of operations.

Longer term, Harbor International looks to expand services, including vessels, railcars, and oversized cargo. Separately, the port continues its larger operations in dry bulk, breakbulk, and RoRo vehicle transport.