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Monthly cargo reports

We are the fourth-largest container gateway in North America, and our regional marine cargo facilities are also a major center for bulk, breakbulk, project/heavy-lift cargoes, automobiles and trucks. We report volumes each month.

Mar 16 2020

NWSA February container volumes decline 3.1% year over year

Mar 16 2020

The Northwest Seaport Alliance’s total container volume for February 2020 was 260,932 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), a 3.1% decrease from February 2019. On the bright side, full exports increased 4.5%, while full imports declined 8%.

In addition to the COVID-19 virus outbreak, tariffs continue to impact overall volumes. The NWSA saw a build-up in inventories from late 2018 through early 2019 and weak demand in February 2019, making year-over-year comparisons for the month difficult. We anticipate March 2020 volumes will be deeply impacted by the COVID-19 virus, contributed by the increased ship cancellations in 2020.

Total container volumes for the first two months in 2020 were 524,749 TEUs, a 11.9% decline compared to the previous year. Imports and exports declined 15.1% and 11.9%, respectively.

Domestic container volumes for February 2020 decreased 3.3% year to date compared to 2019. Alaska’s year-to-date volumes were down 5.2%, while Hawaii’s year-to-date volumes were up 5.2%. Hawaii volumes benefited from one additional vessel call year to date.

Other cargo volume highlights:

  • Breakbulk cargo volumes were down 8.2% year over year to 34,568 metric tons.
  • NWSA auto volumes year to date were 23,135 units, down 16.5% year over year.

View the February 2020 cargo reports:
Feb 19 2020

NWSA January container volumes drop after tariff-driven surge

Feb 19 2020

The Northwest Seaport Alliance’s total container volume for January 2020 was 263,816 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), a 19.1% decrease from January 2019.

Following an unprecedented international container throughput for the same month last year — tied to shippers moving cargo ahead of tariffs, it created a larger than usual gap in the year-over-year figures for January 2020. Imports fell 21.4%, and exports declined 20.5%.

The NWSA also continues to monitor developments of the coronavirus outbreak and expects to see negative impacts to the international trade industry, including the Seattle and Tacoma gateway.

Domestic container volumes in January 2020 decreased 8.5% over January 2019. Alaska’s year-to-date volumes were down 13%, and Hawaii’s year-to-date volumes were up 12.6%. Hawaii volumes benefitted from one additional vessel call for the month over last year.

Other cargo highlights:

  • Breakbulk cargo volumes were down 11.5% year over year to 16,455 metric tons.
  • NWSA auto volumes year to date were 10,461 units, down 29.2% year over year.

View the January 2020 cargo reports:
Jan 17 2020

NWSA container volumes dip 0.6% in 2019

Jan 17 2020

cargo stats
The Northwest Seaport Alliance’s total container volumes for 2019 reached 3,775,303 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), a 0.6% dip from 2018. Total imports fell 4.9%, while exports grew 1.7%.

In December, NWSA handled a total of 284,452 TEUs, a 18.5% decrease from an unusually high December 2018 as shippers moved cargo ahead of tariffs. International imports were down 25.7%, while exports were down 15.3% for the month.

Domestic container volumes in December decreased 4.1% over December 2018. Alaska’s and Hawaii’s year-to-date volumes were up 4.8% and 2.9%, respectively, with total domestic volumes growing 4.5%.

NWSA is accepting nominations for the 2019 North Star Awards through Jan. 31, 2020. In its second year, this program honors companies going above and beyond in their efforts to promote business activity and environmental sustainability in the Seattle and Tacoma port gateway. Winners will be announced at the NWSA Annual Breakfast on March 25 at the Museum of Flight. Learn more about the North Star Awards.

Other cargo highlights:

  • Breakbulk cargo tonnage was down 1.1% year over year to 246,412 metric tons.
  • NWSA auto volumes were 155,930 units, up 10.5% year over year.

View the December 2019 cargo reports:

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