A new study presented this week to the Port of Portland Commission and a host of public and private partners, forecasts a doubling of trade volume in the Portland/Vancouver region by 2035. Funded by the Port of Portland and a consortium of agencies including Metro, Portland Development Commission, the Port of Vancouver and the Oregon Department of Transportation, the study indicates the need for an increased focus on planning and infrastructure investment to increase the capacity of trade and transportation support infrastructure while reducing the negative impacts on the region’s livability. According to the study, the rapidly growing Asian economies as well as the region’s growth will have significant impact on the demand for trade access into and out of the United States. The Portland/Vancouver region is one of four primary international trade gateways on the US West Coast (Southern California, Bay Area, Columbia River, and Puget Sound). Portland serves as a gateway to domestic and international markets for business located throughout Oregon, Southwest Washington, Idaho and further east. As the local population increase so does domestic and import goods consumption. The region is currently beginning a large-scale planning process called the “New Look”, to assess growth patterns through 2035. A regional freight plan will be developed as a part of the overall regional transportation plan, also under development this year.