The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) reports that its year-to-date (YTD) container volume has declined by 2.9%, totaling 2,665,144 TEUs as of October 2025.
In October alone, the combined Seattle-Tacoma gateway recorded 233,927 TEUs, down 14.4% compared to October 2024.
Key Volume Trends:
- Full international imports have dropped 25.2% year-over-year.
- Full exports have grown by 5.4% compared to last October.
- On a YTD basis, full imports are down 7.6%, and full exports have declined by 2.2%.
- Domestic container volumes show a moderate increase of 1.2% year-to-date.
- Among domestic flows, Alaska volume remains flat, while Hawaii volumes are up 7.8%.
Other Cargo Segments:
- Breakbulk cargo has dropped by 18.1%, registering 282,123 metric tons YTD — pressures include high interest rates and tariff headwinds.
- Automobile cargo is down 21.8% (YTD), with 229,466 units handled so far, driven by a slowdown in U.S. auto sales.
Green Infrastructure Update:
The Port of Seattle, on behalf of NWSA, has awarded a contract for the Terminal 18 shore-power project. Work is expected to begin in Q2 2026, with completion slated for late 2027, making Terminal 18 the third international terminal in Washington state equipped for shore power.
NWSA has set a goal to provide shore-power capability across all international terminals by 2030.
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Source: The Northwest Seaport Alliance
