The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) said its September full international imports reached the highest level since the pandemic period, marking seven straight months of growth.
NWSA’s volumes increased by 9.9%, compared to August, and 0.9% compared to September 2023, while full international exports decreased by 7.4% and total international volumes increased by 0.6% compared with September 2023.
Container volumes at the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, which form the NWSA, reached 334,518 TEUs in September, translating to a 0.9% year-on-year growth. Additionally, year-to-date, volumes are up 12.1% over last year to 2,472,421 TEUs, with full imports increasing 19.1% and full exports growing 10.8%.
Meanwhile, rail volumes remain strong, increasing 21.8% year-to-date. On average, three to five trains, with 200 to 220 containers each, leave the facility each month.
Regarding the other types of cargo moved through NWSA terminals, total breakbulk volume decreased by 7.6%, falling to 329,074 metric tons, while auto volumes climbed by 6.5% to 264,810 units for the January-September 2024 period.