The North West Seaport Alliance (NWSA), a partnership between the ports of Tacoma and Seattle, reported total container volumes of 304,748 TEUs in December, representing a 16% increase from the same month in 2023.
NWSA noted that it achieved a significant 20% growth in total international container volumes in the last month of the year.
For the whole of 2024, NWSA’s box throughput rose 12.3% year-over-year to 3,340,733 TEUs, driven by a 20% increase in full imports and an 8% rise in full exports. Additionally, NWSA saw more ships calling at its terminals, reporting a total of 1,798 vessel calls, translating to a 7% year-over-year growth.
In other metrics, total breakbulk volume dropped by 11.2%, amounting to 402,681 metric tons for the year, while auto volumes were recorded at 337,749 units, reflecting a slight 0.3% drop.
Meanwhile, the Terminal 5 Modernization Project’s Phase 2 was completed in March, expanding its cargo handling capabilities to 185 acres and enabling the accommodation of ultra-large vessels. The project included the reconfiguration of two berths and the installation of six state-of-the-art super-post Panamax cranes, enhancing operational efficiency. The addition of on-dock rail at Terminal 5 provides benefits for agricultural exporters while reducing truck traffic. Plans are underway to install additional refrigerated plug-ins in the future.
The NWSA also collaborated with PTSC to partially reconfigure Terminal 46’s yard, creating approximately 750 additional auto storage spaces and increasing the total auto capacity to about 7,750 units. In February 2024, Terminal 46 began handling autos with the arrival of the GLOVIS vessel Silver Sky. Since then, nearly 19,000 auto units have transited through the facility.
