Cargo Stats

You are here

Home / Terminals / Cargo Statistics

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.

Apr 18 2019

NWSA handles record-breaking international container volumes in first quarter

Apr 18 2019

dsc_1646.jpg

The Northwest Seaport Alliance handled a record-breaking 775,522 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) for total international container volumes in the first quarter of 2019, a 12 percent increase over the same period last year. Total volumes from January through March equaled 932,288 TEUs and are up 11.1 percent, the second-highest first-quarter performance ever.

Total container volumes for March reached 336,828 TEUs, a 11.3 percent increase from last year, with import and export volumes growing 16.7 percent and 8.6 percent, respectively.

At their April meeting, NWSA’s Managing Members voted to approve lease agreements and authorize construction on Terminal 5 in Seattle. Once completed, the 185-acre terminal will be able to handle the ultra-large container vessels increasingly calling at West Coast ports. The deal, including future phase 2 commitment, represents approximately a half-billion dollars of private and public investment in the region’s economy.

The NWSA also received four additional super-post-Panamax container cranes in March, capping a $266 million project that will allow two 18,000-TEU vessels to dock simultaneously at Husky Terminal in Tacoma.

Total domestic volumes for March increased 6.4 percent to 60,444 TEUs compared to March 2018, marking the third consecutive month of domestic cargo growth. Alaska’s year-to-date volumes were up 6.2 percent following an unusually robust January. Hawaii volumes through the Pacific Northwest were up 8.3 percent year to date 2019.

Other cargo highlights:

  • Breakbulk cargo volume was up 30.1 percent year to date to 71,232 metric tons.
  • NWSA auto volume year to date was 40,766 units, up 29.1 percent. The new Taylor Way auto terminal, which opened in late 2018, has brought in additional volumes. The NWSA is also receiving autos diverted from other West Coast ports of entry due to congestion.

View the March 2019 cargo reports:
Mar 19 2019

NWSA container volumes up 11 percent for 2019

Mar 19 2019

The Northwest Seaport Alliance’s February container volumes reached 269,199 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), a 4.1 percent decrease from last year. Despite the dip, the year-to-date container volumes are up 10.9 percent, with imports and exports growing 10.1 percent and 13.4 percent respectively.

As anticipated, import volumes in February were impacted by an early Lunar New Year, resulting in shippers advancing orders ahead of the normal factory closures in Asia during the holiday. Several vessel-call omissions similarly impacted import volumes.

In addition, February volumes demonstrated two tariff-related shifts. After five consecutive months of import growth from retailers front-loading cargo to beat future tariff increases, imports are leveling off as retailers draw down this inventory. Soft export volumes, especially to China, also reflect the ongoing impacts from tariffs.

Total domestic volumes for February increased 1.1 percent to 47,590 TEUs compared to February 2018, marking the second month of growth for domestic cargo. Alaska’s year-to-date volumes were up 7.7 percent following an unusually robust January. Hawaii volumes through the Pacific Northwest were up 2.5 percent for 2019.

Other cargo highlights:

  • Breakbulk cargo volume was up 15.5 percent to 37,667 metric tons.
  • Auto volume for February was 27,705 units, up 27.3 percent. The new Taylor Way auto terminal, which opened in late 2018, has brought in additional volumes. The NWSA is also receiving autos diverted from other West Coast ports of entry due to congestion.

View the February 2019 cargo reports:
Feb 22 2019

NWSA handles record container volumes in January

Feb 22 2019

The Northwest Seaport Alliance started the year with a record-breaking month as total container volumes for January reached 326,228 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), a 27.3 percent increase over last year.

Total international container volumes for the month also set a record at 277,495 TEUs. Total import volumes were up 34.1 percent compared to January 2018, as shippers continued to send cargo in anticipation of higher tariffs and before factories in Asia closed for the Lunar New Year holiday. Full imports, at 128,615 TEUs, were up 32.8 percent. At 132,902 TEUs, total export volumes were up 26.3 percent over last year.

“As we work to build on the strong import volumes we saw in January, the Seattle-Tacoma gateway will be adding more than 7 million square feet of new industrial warehousing space this year to diversify our customers’ supply chain,” said Tong Zhu, NWSA’s chief commercial officer and chief strategy officer.

Total domestic volumes for January increased 13 percent to 48,732 TEUs compared to January 2018. Alaska’s January volumes were up 16.7 percent due to lower than normal capacity in January 2018, which was impacted by planned vessel drydocking. Hawaii volumes through the Pacific Northwest were down 1.7 percent.

Other cargo highlights:

  • Breakbulk cargo volume was up 17.8 percent to 18,583 metric tons.
  • Auto volume for January was up 70.8 percent to 17,653 units. The new Taylor Way Auto Facility, which opened in December, brought new volumes. In addition, the NWSA received diverted cargo due to congestion at other West Coast ports of entry.

View the January 2019 cargo reports:

Search archives

Subscribe to email updates

Trade statistics

What are the NWSA’s top commodities?
What countries are your top trading partners?
What was the value of trade last year?