Continued strong consumer demand and retail inventory restocking during the quarter helped push Q1 2022 full imports at the NWSA to an all-time high. A record 365,088 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of laden international imports moved through the gateway during the quarter. While fewer vessel calls in March led to a decline in full imports for the month, overall import demand remains strong.

The trend of declining loaded exports continued in March as ongoing supply chain congestion issues negatively impact capacity and equipment availability for the agricultural sector.

NWSA March volumes declined 2.5% to 330,906 TEUs, with full imports declining 11.7% and full exports declining 24.9% year-over-year.

Year-to-date volumes are up 0.5% to 901,234 TEUs, with full imports growing 1.2% and full exports declining 28.1%.

Domestic volumes increased 1.1% compared to Q1 2021. Alaska volumes increased 0.5% while Hawaii volumes grew 3.4%.

Swire Shipping and UWL launched a dedicated, direct express service from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to Seattle in March. The biweekly express service—calling at Terminal 30 in the Seattle Harbor—offers North America’s fastest ocean vessel service from Vietnam to the USA: 18 days. The service departs from the centrally located SP-ITC terminal—which is near suppliers—providing lower drayage cost and easy access to empty equipment for shipments to the US. UWL is expected to launch an export program on this service in the near future.

• Q1 2022 breakbulk cargo volumes grew 44.1% for 105,870 metric tons.
• Auto volumes were 43,424 units, down 7% over Q1 2021.

View the March 2022 cargo reports:

• Container volumes – March 2022
• Cargo statistics – March 2022