Northwest Seaport Alliance posts April cargo volumes

The Northwest Seaport Alliance handled higher volumes of loaded container imports and loaded container exports in April compared to April 2015.    The Northwest Seaport Alliance, comprised of the Port of Seattle and Port of Tacoma, handled higher volumes of loaded container imports and loaded container exports in April compared to April 2015.
   During the month, the ports handled 104,396 TEUs of loaded imports and 76,937 TEUs of loaded exports, compared with April 2015, when they handled 97,502 TEUs of loaded imports and 71,826 TEUs of loaded exports, the Northwest Seaport Alliance said.
   The alliance noted the April numbers mark the first month-over-month comparison that doesn’t reflect cargo volumes impacted by last year’s contract negotiations between the Pacific Maritime Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union.
   For the first four months of 2016, the Puget Sound gateway’s container volumes, which remained flat compared to the corresponding period last year, totaled 1.1 million TEUs. Full exports for the first four months of the year jumped 15 percent year-over-year to 310,099 TEUs, while full imports remained flat at 415,407 TEUs.
   Meanwhile, year-to-date empty container volumes fell 16 percent from the same period last year, while domestic volumes continue to lag due a weaker Alaskan economy.
   The alliance noted that strong export volumes, with fully containerized since full containerized exports up 15 percent year-to-date in April, hint at a better 2016 outlook than predicted.
   Auto imports continue to be a bright spot for non-container cargo, up nearly 9 percent year-to-date in April to 62,113 units. Breakbulk cargo tumbled 36 percent year-to-date to 61,097 metric tons, which the alliance attributed to slowing economic growth in China and the impact of lower oil prices.