Oregon Container Terminal Opening Celebration Remarks

The Oregon Container Terminal and the Port of Portland are more than infrastructure. They are a promise to our community.

A promise that opportunity can cross oceans and generations. That people who work hard in Oregon can build a good life right here at home.

Oregon stands at the edge of a new decade of growth. But that future is not guaranteed.  Long-term prosperity won’t happen by chance. It will happen because we choose to act together, with purpose, to create good jobs and build a stronger, more resilient economy for every community.

Here is the truth we must build on: Oregon is already a wonderful place to live and work.

Oregonians are innovators and builders. Entrepreneurs and makers. We have a skilled workforce, world class research institutions, and industries that span forests and fields, factories and clean energy labs. We are a West Coast state with a Pacific facing future, close to global markets and blessed with clean air and abundant fresh water.

And we cannot take any of this for granted. We have to fight harder to support affordable communities and business growth.

The Oregon Container Terminal sits at the crossroads of this moment.

Keeping container service here means Oregon stays connected to the world. On any given day at this terminal, you may see shipping containers from SM Lines, one of our longest-standing trading partners in South Korea, whose leaders I had the opportunity to meet with during my trade mission last year. Global connections like these give Oregon a competitive edge and help secure our economic future. They ensure that cranberries grown on the Coast, hay harvested in the Willamette Valley, wheat from Eastern Oregon, and products made in the Portland metro area can reach global markets efficiently, competitively, and sustainably.

Oregon is one of the most trade reliant states in the nation. And today, we celebrate that this lifeline of our economy is secure.

I want to congratulate Harbor Industrial for becoming the full operator of container and breakbulk operations at the Oregon Container Terminal. This progress at T6 is the result of years of perseverance – and the result of my office, industry leaders, port workers, and lawmakers coming together to invest $20 million towards capital improvements for this terminal. These funds were critical to making today’s announcement a reality.

Its impact will echo for decades. Because this terminal supports thousands of family wage jobs. It lowers costs for Oregon businesses. It keeps trucks off our highways, reduces congestion, and cuts climate pollution. Harbor Industrial brings experience, steadiness, and deep knowledge of this place. We are proud to welcome them, not just as operators, but as partners in Oregon’s future. 

Shared vision. Smart investment. The courage to act.

And it is a signal to workers, to businesses, to the world that Oregon is open, resilient, and ready for what comes next. Together, we keep Oregon moving forward. Thank you.