Gov. Chris Gregoire forecasted growth in the Seattle shipping industry in response to the 2009 Marine Cago Forecast. She spoke at a press conference at Todd Shipyards, about one mile due east of Alki's Seacrest Park, on Harbor Island.

The forecast projects 20 years ahead, and shows growth from 2.9 million containers in 2007 to 9.7 million containers in 2030.

"The forecast gives hope to our economy to jobs that could come to Seattle," said Gregoire. "This is a message of opportunity. We will have a chance to provide waterfront and freight jobs which are good family wage jobs."

Gregoire pointed out that the state must keep up infrastructure to stay competitive with Canadian, California, and East Coast ports.

"The Panama Canal is being widened to accommodate ships twice the size that now enter," said the governor. "That means more Asian cargo ships will have a more direct route and may bypass Seattle, and instead pass through the canal and use harbors in the East Coast."

The Panama Canal project is scheduled to be finished in five years.

"When the economy picks back up, hopefully next year, we will have a great opportunity...to capture a great amount of cargo," said Executive Director of Washington Public Ports Association, Eric Johnson. "Our port helps out the manufacturers, small business people, and farmers in eastern Washington and other places around the state depending on better shipping rates and supply routes. We cannot take this for granted."

"We want to make sure to make trade investments necessary to take advantage of the forecast we see coming," Johnson added. "We don't want to lose trade to competing ports."