The Northwest Seaport Alliance’s (NWSA) international container volumes increased by 4 percent in 2017 and were the fourth highest in NWSA history.
The alliance’s total international container volumes stood at 2.96 million TEUs in 2017, compared to 2.86 million TEUs recorded in 2016.
At 1.51 million TEUs, import volumes remained flat compared to 2016 volumes. Meanwhile, exports were up 7 percent at 1.45 million TEUs.
Additionally, total container volumes grew by 1 percent in 2017 to 3.7 million TEUs from 3.6 million TEUs seen a year earlier.
What is more, log volumes were up 57 percent to 278,078 metric tons for the year due to a consistent demand from China in 2017. Other breakbulk cargo volume was up 16 percent to 210,725 metric tons for the year.
However, auto volumes for the year mirrored the overall decline in the North American auto import market. NWSA ended the year down 11 percent, handling 146,885 units.
The Northwest Seaport Alliance is a marine cargo operating partnership of the Port of Seattle and Port of Tacoma. The ports manage the container, breakbulk, auto and bulk terminals.