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"One
of the few ways that ocean carriers can
actually drive profits is by tightening
those supply chains and turning their equipment
around quickly. The barge service very much
helps in that regard," he added.
The
port is also in the unique position of having
both major west coast railroads, Burlington
Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) and Union Pacific
(UP), with on-dock rail access to the terminal
there.
"This
is very, very rare for container terminals
on the west coast. Usually one of the other
of the railroads controls the access. This
is a 20-year strategic effort that we have
made with all of our terminals to create
competitive rail access," Mr Wyatt
said.
Due
to this ˇ§unimpeded" rail access for
both railroads, Portland now offers a competitive
advantage for onward shipments to the US
Midwest for trans-loaded cargo, added Mr
Borossay.
"We're
actually a day faster to Chicago than our
sister ports to the north in Seattle and
Tacoma for trans-loaded cargo and for particular
customers who are willing to allow their
international freight to be trans-loaded
into domestic freight.
"Because
Portland has excess 53-foot equipment as
a regional distribution area in the northwest,
the rate levels and the service to drive
that back to the US Midwest makes Portland
an excellent trans-load gateway," he
said.
Both
senior port executives noted that while
the port is competitive to the Midwest region,
its core market remains it immediate hinterland
and that is where its focus will remain
going forward.
As
for the port's wider operations, Portland
primarily handles bulk and agricultural
exports and automobile shipments, which
is really what has driven its growth over
the years.
It
does, however, expect to continue to post
steady growth at its container handling
facility going forward.
Mr
Wyatt said the port is looking to expand
its capacity in the coming years as there
is currently more demand then there is capacity
to handle it, a fact he believes clearly
demonstrates the competitive advantages
of Portland.
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