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Marine Shipments Continue to Improve by Staff Portland Business Journal, July 1, 2010

The Port of Portland's marine terminals continue to show monthly improvements compared to a dismal 2009.

But the port's performance through May is still inferior to the much stronger 2008.

Through May, 234 ocean-going vessels have called the port, a nearly 10 percent increase from last year but a 33 percent decline from 2008.

The terminals have handled more than 5.6 million tons of cargo, a nearly 43 percent boost from last year but a 14 percent drop from 2008.

It's a similar story across most of the port's cargo categories: auto units are up nearly 21 percent over last year, but down 47 percent from 2008; grain shipments are up 27 percent from 2009 but down 3 percent from two years ago; mineral bulk shipments have more than doubled this year but lag 2008 by 13 percent.

There are two exceptions to the trend.

Breakbulk cargo is up nearly 136 percent over last year and is outperforming 2008 by 5 percent. The number of cargo containers shipped through May is down 8 percent from 2009 and down 33 percent from 2008.