The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) reported a total container volume of 289,120 TEUs in September 2025, marking a 12.6% increase from August but a 13.6% decline year-over-year. The fall compared to September 2024 reflects lingering effects from last year’s labor disruptions in Canada and ongoing tariff pressures.
Container Volumes and Trends
Full international imports dropped 22% compared to September 2024, while exports decreased 1.2%. Year-to-date (YTD) volumes reached 2,431,217 TEUs, down 1.7%. Full imports fell 5.7% and exports 2.9%. Despite the decline, the gateway’s ocean carrier schedule reliability showed strong improvement—average arrival times were just two days behind schedule in Q3, the best performance in five years.
Domestic Trade
Domestic container volumes rose 1.5% over YTD 2024, with Alaska trade up 0.2% and Hawaii trade showing robust growth of 9.2%.
Other Cargo Segments
Breakbulk cargo volumes fell 21.7% to 257,651 metric tons YTD, weighed down by high interest rates and tariffs. Auto volumes reached 214,429 units, a 19.8% decline year-to-date, mirroring a nationwide slowdown in auto sales.
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Source: THE NORTHWEST SEAPORT ALLIANCE
