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<< Back E-mail Update – October 22, 2004 – Volume 4, Number 16 Channel Deepening Progress Helps Attract New Portland-Japan Container Service: Yesterday, the Port of Portland and Hanjin Shipping announced that they will make significant improvements to Columbia River container service. The Hanjin ship that calls on the Port of Portland once a week will add a stop in Tokyo, Japan to its other Asian destinations beginning on November 18, 2004. The 12-vessel rotation will call on Seattle; Vancouver, B.C.; Portland; Tokyo; Pusan; Shanghai; Hong Kong; Yantian; and Port Kelang. More than 50% of the containerized cargo exported through Portland is sent to Japan, mostly in the form of hay and other agricultural, paper, and wood products. The two container carriers (K-Line and Hyundai) leaving Portland this year called on Japan but Hanjin did not, so farms and businesses exporting these products were in danger of losing direct container service to Japan through Portland. Hanjin has now stepped in to maintain that important export connection for Northwest exporters. Hanjin will also start serving Portland with larger ships, which will make more capacity available for both exporters and importers through the Port of Portland. Hanjin will use 5,500 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) post-Panamax ships, a sizable increase over the 4,024 TEU Panamax ships they previously brought into Portland. “Oregon remains a strong market for both exports and imports, and we’re pleased to make this commitment,” said Jeff McEwen, Regional Manager of Hanjin Shipping. “The decision was made easier with Fred Meyer’s commitment to our service, as well as recent progress on the Columbia River channel deepening project, and the Port’s decision to move forward with a new post-Panamax Crane and berth improvements.” Freight forwarders hailed the good news to increase capacity, noting the announcement comes at a particularly good time for harvest. The Port of Portland and regional importers and exporters are working hard to recruit other container carriers to take the place of the two that are leaving this year. MCR Maintanence Dredging Update: As of October 15, 2004, the total amount of dredge material removed from the navigation channel at the mouth of the Columbia River this year is 2,682,274 cubic yards. The annual operations and maintenance dredging season is now nearly complete for this year and will commence again next year about the same time that the construction of the deeper 43-foot navigation channel begins, depending on the final outcome of the Congressional appropriations process. Congress Adjourns, Pledging To Return In November For Appropriations: Although we are now three weeks into Federal Fiscal Year 2005, the FY 2005 Energy and Water Appropriations bill – which will contain Channel Project funding – remained stalled in the U.S. Senate as Congress adjourned last week. The sticking point delaying the bill’s progress is funding for the nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. Once the Senate has passed the Energy and Water Appropriations bill, the legislation must then go to a House-Senate conference committee to resolve differences between the two versions of the bill. The House included only $3 million for the Channel Project in their version of this bill. We have requested $15 million. Chances are good that all remaining appropriations bills will be rolled together into one omnibus bill. The entire Northwest Congressional delegation remains steadfastly united in support of this project – and this election season and district work period present a great opportunity for all of us to thank them for their consistent advocacy and urge them to keep up the fight when they return to Washington, D.C. Columbia River Presentations Available: If your civic organization, business, union, or local government would like an updated presentation about the importance of maritime trade to our region and the goals, implications, and current status of the Columbia River Channel Deepening project, we would be delighted to provide an informative and interesting presentation at no cost. Feel free to contact the Coalition office to arrange for a presentation. Coalition Keeps Expanding: We welcome the following organizations who officially joined the Coalition during the past two weeks:
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