Port of Portland expects set record for shipping containers

Maine’s only container port is operating smoothly even as supply chain disruptions cause cargo ships to back up at other U.S. harbors.

The Port of Portland is poised for a record-breaking year with at least 36,700 shipping containers expected to cross the docks at the International Marine Terminal this year, the Portland Press Herald reported.

That’s a fivefold increase from 2013 when Icelandic shipping company Eimskip opened its headquarters in Portland.

“We came here with a vision and mission that was shared by the state. It has exceeded all expectations throughout the organization,” said Andrew Haines, executive vice president of Eimskip’s North America division.

Eimskip, the port’s only container company, intends to boost trade further by increasing the size of cargo vessels traveling to Portland.

The company’s ships call on Portland once a week, the end of a line that includes stops in Atlantic Canada and Iceland, and connections to northern Europe and Asia.
Source: Associated Press