Container traffic at ports of Seattle and Tacoma drops amid coronavirus, trade trouble
The Northwest Seaport Alliance on Wednesday offered more details on what the coronavirus pandemic effects have been so far on trade volumes at its ports in Seattle and Tacoma.
In figures released Wednesday, the NWSA said that March container volumes fell about 22 percent from volume totals the same time last year.
According to the report, “The Northwest Seaport Alliance handled 264,133 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in March 2020 as total container volumes dropped 21.6 percent, compared to March 2019. Full imports declined 28.2 percent while full exports decreased 8.6 percent year over year.”
The numbers represent a total for Tacoma and Seattle ports, which is how the NWSA reports its numbers.
The drop in volumes was not solely blamed on COVID-19. The U.S.-China tariff battle already was having an impact in trade volumes at the start of the year before the local emergence of the outbreak, a point emphasized in an call with reporters in mid-March.
According to the NWSA’s report, “During the first quarter of 2020, there was a total of 32 void sailings due to a combination of lingering trade dispute and the pandemic. Of the 32 canceled sailings, 19 were in March as unprecedented disruptions from COVID-19 rippled across the global supply chain. The NWSA handled 788,882 TEUs year to date, a 15.4 percent decline from the same period last year. Full imports and exports declined 19.3 percent and 4.9 percent, respectively.”
Breakbulk cargo volumes were down 11.9 percent year over year, while auto volumes year to date were down 0.5 percent year over year, according to the NWSA.
John Wolfe is CEO of the Northwest Seaport Alliance, which oversees operations for both the Tacoma and Seattle ports.
Wolfe said in a call with reporters that more canceled sailings would follow in the second quarter as the pandemic’s effects continue to be felt worldwide, but that the situation remained fluid and the number of booked sailings could change.
Domestic trade, notably with Alaska, remained “robust,” he added, noting, “We are the lifeline for Alaska,” generating more than $5 billion annually in trade.
Alaska’s container volumes through March were up 0.9 percent, most of that focused on grocery demand.
Wolfe noted that while the second quarter would probably be “soft” amid the pandemic, the expectation is the third and fourth quarters will reflect stronger volume totals.
This story was originally published April 15, 2020 at 1:53 PM.
