The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) has recorded a 21.2 per cent decline in full international imports in May 2025 compared to the same month last year.
This marks the end of14 consecutive months of growth for NWSA.
According to NWSA, the fall is partly attributed to shipping decisions impacted by ongoing tariff uncertainty. Full international exports also dropped by 10.7 per cent.
Total container throughput for the month stood at 250,851 TEUs, down 9.4 per cent year-on-year (YoY).
Despite this decline, year-to-date (YTD) volumes rose by 10.2 per cent, with full imports up 12 per cent, although full exports were down 2.5 per cent.
Domestic container volumes increased by 3.5 per cent compared to the same period in 2024. Volumes to Alaska grew by 2.5 per cent, while Hawaii traffic rose by 9.1 per cent.
Breakbulk cargo volumes totalled 138,117 metric tonnes YTD, a 31.1 per cent decrease driven by high interest rates and tariff pressures.
Auto volumes dropped by 13.8 per cent YTD to 123,350 units, reflecting a nationwide slowdown in vehicle sales.
In April, NWSA reported strong traffic in April, with volumes reaching 277,828 TEUs — up 7.4 per cent.