The shortage of cargo containers has become a major impediment for the regional farm industry, said the director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture. Ocean carriers are looking to cut costs, so they’re not willing to move empty containers from other parts of the U.S. into the Pacific Northwest, one hay exporter said.
Exporters shipping from Portland faced a deficit of roughly 70,000 containers last year, said the marine marketing development manager for the Port of Portland. Regions with a larger population base import more products, winding up with more empty containers. Traffic in and around major ports may eventually cause smaller ports to become more competitive, potential boosting the number of available containers, he said. For that reason, government investment in port infrastructure would increase competition and be a big help for exporters, he said.