Tariffs and the diversion of cargo from British Columbia to the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) during labour disruptions in June 2024 caused international imports to drop 27.3 per cent in June 2025 compared to June 2024.
Exports fell by 8.4 per cent, while total container volume, including both international and domestic, reached 274,537 TEUs, down 14.7 per cent year-on-year (YoY) but up 9.4 per cent from May 2025.
Year-to-date (YTD) volumes are up 5.1 per cent, with imports increasing by 3.3 per cent and exports decreasing by 3.5 per cent.
An Economic Impact Analysis revealed that the NWSA, Port of Tacoma, and Port of Seattle supported over 265,000 jobs, generating £17.7 billion ($23.7 billion) in wages and benefits and nearly £55 billion ($73 billion) in business output in 2023.
NWSA operations accounted for approximately 52,100 jobs, including 18,000 direct jobs, £4.4 billion ($5.8 billion) in wages, and £14 billion ($18 billion) in business output across Washington.
Domestic container volumes rose by 1.9 per cent YTD compared to 2024. Alaska volumes grew by 0.6 per cent, while Hawaii volumes increased by 8.9 per cent.
Breakbulk volume decreased by 26.3 per cent to 179,338 metric tonnes YTD, affected by high interest rates and tariff impacts.
Auto volumes dropped by 15.3 per cent YTD, reflecting a slowdown in nationwide car sales.
Recently, NWSA launched its first incentive programme to deploy zero-emission (ZE) drayage trucks and charging infrastructure in the Puget Sound region.
