EASTPORT (AP) – The Eastport Port Authority says it’s set another record for tonnage handled at the Down East facility.

The cargo port handled 376,873 metric tons last year, an 8,000-ton increase over the 2007 total. The port has seen growth in seven of the last eight years and claims 160 percent growth in this decade alone.

Port Director Christopher Gardner says Eastport is well-positioned to become an essential link in Maine’s “green” cargo transportation network.

State Sen. Kevin Raye, R-Perry, calls the port “a bright spot for Down East Maine’s economy.”