- Year-to-Date Container Growth Hits 10.7%, Driven by Strong Imports
- Domestic Container Volumes See Decline Amid Regional Disparities
- NWSA’s Strategic Rail Initiative Expands Non-Traditional Rail Hubs
International container volumes for October 2024 rose by 1.7% from the same month last year. The increase was more attributable to a 6.9% jump in full international imports, which now stood as the eighth straight month of growth in imports. However, full international exports declined by 13.4%. Total container volume, which includes international and domestic containers, had reached 273,355 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), though this still showed a slight 0.5% decrease compared to that of October 2023, reports NWSA
Year-to-Date Increase in Containers in Volume
For 2024, year-to-date containers in volume have grown by 10.7 per cent from last year, standing at 2,745,775 TEUs. Full imports increased by 17.7 per cent while full exports grew by 8 percent. This positive trend bodes well for the strength of international trade flows with domestic volumes still bemoaning the hardships.
Decline in Domestic Containers Volume
Domestic container volumes declined 1.3% year to date over 2023, according to the latest Containership News. Regionally, Alaska saw a small decline of 0.1 per cent, while Hawaii declined 7.6 per cent. These declines point out regional differences in container movement within domestic markets.
Improvements in Rail Connectivity
The Northwest Seaport Alliance launched a strategic initiative in 2019 to improve its rail connectivity with non-traditional rail hubs. This effort has been accompanied by the opening of regular rail services from Minot, North Dakota; Pocatello, Idaho; and Wallula, Washington. Containerized agricultural export services are their intended usage but would also be available to receive imports.
New Developments in Intermodal Infrastructure
As part of its efforts to advance its intermodal facility plans, the Port of Benton is releasing a request for qualifications (RFQ) to identify a facility operator. This facility will primarily serve agricultural exports, but will also support import activities.
A comprehensive overview of the NWSA’s inland rail projects and service offerings can be found in the Inland Rail Flyer.
Did you subscribe to our daily Newsletter?
It’s Free Click here to Subscribe!
Source: NWSA
