The Northwest Seaport Alliance, a marine cargo operating partnership of the US ports of Tacoma and Seattle, handled a record of 775,522 TEUs for total international container volumes in the first quarter of 2019, a 12% increase over the same period last year.
Total volumes from January through March equaled 932,288 TEUs and are up 11.1 %, the second-highest first-quarter performance ever, the Alliance said.
Total container volumes for March specifically reached 336,828 TEUs, a 11.3 % increase from last year, with import and export volumes growing 16.7 % and 8.6 %, 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.
Additionally, the NWSA also received four more 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% 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 % following an unusually robust January. Hawaii volumes through the Pacific Northwest were up 8.3 % year to date 2019.
Meanwhile, breakbulk cargo volume was up 30.1 % year to date to 71,232 metric tons.
NWSA auto volume year to date was 40,766 units, up 29.1%. 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.
