Hanjin pulls Out of Portland
South Korean shipping company Hanjin Shipping will be terminating its service with the city, said Port of Portland officials. But the port’s largest container carrier will continue to use rail and truck transportation.
Hanjin Shipping notified the port and customers it will withdraw services on March 9. Hanjin handles nearly 80 percent of the container volume at the port’s Terminal 6, said Port spokesman Josh Thomas.
In its letter to customers, including Portland-based freight forwarding service Global Trading Resoruces Inc., Hanjin said that instead of calling on the port directly, it would serve Portland using rail and truck transportation from Seattle.
The vessel Hanjin Los Angeles, which is scheduled to arrive in Ningbo China on March 9, will be the first vessel in the Hanjin rotation to bypass Portland.
"We apologize for any inconvenience from this change. However, we remain committed to providing efficient services to and from the Portland region. We appreciate your continued support in advance," the company wrote in the unsigned letter to customers.
Hanjin's plan to drop service to the Port of Portland came as a surprise to ICTSI Oregon, the port operator. "It's something the port had worked very hard to avert," Thomas said.
Hanjin has had a presence in Portland since 1993. But its pullout isn't a surprise. In recent years, the company has been unhappy about the pace of work among longshore workers and announced its intention to withdraw two years ago.
If Hanjin pulls out, up to 80 percent of the business at container terminal in Portland would evaporate. The container terminal is key for several local businesses that trade with Asia.
