Container volumes on the rise at NWSA ports

In August, combined full imports at the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) ports of Seattle and Tacoma reached their highest level since 2010, increasing to 119,529 TEUs, a 1 percent increase from last year, according to NWSA data.    Total monthly volumes for the Seattle and Tacoma ports improved 6 percent last month over August 2016 numbers, while total year-to-date container volumes from January through August rose 5 percent, according to newly released statistics from the marine cargo operating partnership between the two ports.
   Full imports for August 2017 reached their highest level since 2010, increasing 1 percent to 119,529 TEUs compared to last year, while full exports were down 8 percent to 76,614 TEUs, according to the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA), which comprises Seattle and Tacoma.
   The big gain last month was in empty exports, which, according to the NWSA, reached their highest volume since 2006 by growing 58 percent during what was a peak season month for the ports. 
   Also in August, total domestic volumes – i.e. containers traveling to and from the non-contiguous U.S. states of Alaska and Hawaii – increased 6 percent compared to the same month last year, statistics show.
   Alaska volumes, down 7 percent year-to-date, are expected to end the year 8 percent lower than in 2016 due to soft market conditions. Hawaii volumes through the Pacific Northwest are down 2 percent year-to-date due to diversion to Southern California, according to the NWSA.
   Through the first eight months of 2017, full import volumes are up 5 percent to 922,886 TEUs, the fourth-highest on record, NWSA said. Meanwhile, full YTD exports were down 1 percent to 616,957 TEUs. Total international container volumes, including empties, increased 9 percent year-over-year to 1.96 million TEUs, the highest YTD volume through August since 2007, according to the ports.
   In other year-to-date cargo numbers: log volumes were up 101 percent to 186,582 metric tons compared with the same period last year, driven by consistent demand from China; and breakbulk cargo volume was down 3 percent to 125,030 metric tons year to date due to soft market conditions, NWSA said.
   Autos, at 96,962 units year-to-date, were down 19 percent compared to the same period last year, something that the seaport alliance blames in part on weakening U.S. demand and a shift in manufacturing locations.