The Port of Portland is the second-largest auto import gateway on the U.S. West Coast.

The Port of Portland is the second-largest auto import gateway on the U.S. West Coast.

Following inspections by Chinese government auditors, Auto Warehousing Co.’s (AWC) facility at the Port of Portland, Ore., recently received approval to begin processing export shipments of Ford Motor Co. vehicles to China.

AWC expects the volume of export Ford vehicles to reach 30,000 units in the first year, then grow to 40,000 units per year. The company plans to hire up to 50 people at its 130-acre Terminal 6 facility to process the vehicles and prepare them for the Chinese market.

A $2.8 million project to expand AWC’s processing building by 27,000 square feet and increase annual capacity to more than 110,000 vehicles is nearing completion, port officials said.

More at Progressive Railroading