Oregon’s ports are not only vital for our state—they’re critical to America. Just think back to the pandemic, when dozens of container ships had to wait to dock off the West Coast and Americans across the country felt the effects. Fertilizer, furniture, electronics, clothing, cars, crops and timber are just a few of the many goods that move through Oregon’s 23 small and coastal public ports every day to businesses and store shelves around the world.
Our ports also are home to commercial fishermen, crabbers and recreational businesses, seafood processors and marina operators, not to mention thousands of workers in local communities. And our ports provide critical infrastructure for disaster response and recovery, so that first responders and emergency supplies can get where they’re needed fast.