The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA), a marine cargo operating partnership of the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, saw decreased container volumes in July.
Total box volumes for the month fell by 15.9% to 260,572 TEU, with full imports declining 30.4% and full exports declining 16.8% year-over-year. Additionally, year-to-date (YTD) volumes have also declined by 5.6% to 2,067,304 TEU, with full imports and exports declining 10.3% and 23.3%, respectively.
NWSA said that lower container volumes have been driven by reduced vessel calls, resulting from vessel delays at other ports and ongoing service suspensions.
Meanwhile, domestic container volumes increased 1.6% compared to YTD in July 2021, with Alaska volumes increasing 2.7% and Hawaii volumes declining 2.5%.
NWSA said that Husky Terminal received four new Rubber Tired Gantries (RTGs) in early August, which are expected to enhance cargo-handling efficiency and increase yard density. They are the latest investment in the terminal, which received two new side picks in the fall, allowing for better densification of the yard space.
