Port of Tacoma TEUs down 7% in 2007

Port of Tacoma TEUs down 7% in 2007 The Port of Tacoma’s container throughput in 2007 declined 7 percent to 1.93 million TEUs with the port blaming “a softening U.S. economy, a weakening national housing market and the rising cost of inland transportation.”
   The Washington state port’s total tonnage increased 3 percent to 19.6 million tons. Of that total, breakbulk cargo was down 4 percent to 123,647 tons and grain slipped 1 percent to 6 million tons. The port’s automobile volume finished the year up 5 percent at 175,074 units. Intermodal lifts were down 19 percent to 481,102.
   The port closed 2007 with $97.6 million in operating revenue, a 6.3 percent increase from 2006.
   Looking at the prospects for 2008, the Port of Tacoma expects its containerized cargo to rebound 6 percent to 2.05 million TEUs with total tonnage increasing 3 percent to 20.1 million tons.