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Port of Portland Numbers Continue to Drop by Staff Portland Business Journal, July 23, 2009

The amount of marine cargo carried through the Port of Portland is down 40 percent at the midway point of the year.

The latest figures, released Thursday, show just 671,145 tons of marine cargo passed through the port in June. Throughout 2009, the port has yet to record a month with more than 1,000 tons of marine cargo -- a stat reached in all but three months in 2008 and every month in 2007.

Facing the biggest slump this year is mineral bulk cargo with just 1,257,946 tons shipped so far this year, a 58.5 percent decrease from the same point last year.

Following close behind is breakbulk cargo, which is down 58.2 percent, and auto imports which are down 52.1 percent to 111,104 units.

Container cargo is down 28.2 percent to 88,884 20-foot-equivalent units. Grain shipments are down 21.9 percent to 1,937,704 tons.

So far this year, just 252 ocean-going vessels have called on the port, down 39.3 percent.