Container volumes rebound at Seattle, Tacoma

March volumes were up 21 percent at the allied Pacific Northwest Ports, but log volumes are down this year, according to Puget Sound reports.    The ports of Tacoma and Seattle handled 361,951 TEUs of ocean freight in March 2015, 21 percent more than in March 2014 and more than in any month since September 2014.
   Volumes were higher as the ports cleared severe cargo backlogs that built up during prolonged contract negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and employers represented by the Pacific Maritime Association. The groups reached a tentative labor agreement at the end of February.
   The two ports said they expect volumes “to remain higher than normal in the coming months as vessels return to normal service schedules and manufacturers in Asia work to clear excess inventory.”
   In the first three months of the year, Tacoma and Seattle handled 822,969 TEUs, 3 percent more than in the first quarter of 2014.
   The ports said log exports were down 41 percent this year year due to a slowing Chinese economy, but that breakbulk cargo grew 10 percent on the strength of farm equipment exports.