Plan would restore shipping at Portland port

PENDLETON, Ore. — A former Oregon legislator and one-time gubernatorial candidate has proposed creating a shipping authority to help restore shipping business to Portland.

Kevin Mannix, who spent more than 10 years in the Legislature and ran for governor as a Republican against Ted Kulongoski in 2002, has proposed the authority take over Terminal 6 from the Port of Portland and re-establish container business.

The terminal lost its two main container carriers, Hanjin Shipping and Hapag-Lloyd, early last year. Since then Eastern Oregon producers have had to pay up to $1,000 more per container to truck their goods to Tacoma.

“What I hear universally is that we need options. We need Terminal 6 operating,” Mannix said during a meeting Thursday at the Hermiston (Ore.) Conference Center. “To deal with this problem so far, people are spending more money to ship their products.”

The proposed Oregon Container Shipping Authority would be run by a board of directors appointed by county commissioners from across the state. Potential directors would need experience in shipping, international trade or imports and exports. As a public company, the authority would have the ability to contract with other agencies, borrow money to support container shipping and support projects.

Mannix and his advocacy group Common Sense for Oregon have drafted a proposal that he plans to bring to the Legislature in 2017. Currently, he is circulating the draft among communities and the state Capitol for feedback.

“I see an opportunity for us here to do something good for Oregon,” he said. “The worst thing that could happen is if we do nothing.”