The US ports Seattle and Tacoma – importan[ds_preview]t locations for the Northwest markets – reported a slight decline in container volumes for the year so far.
»Total container volumes are flat year to date through August, falling less than 1 % to 2,322,999 TEUs. The persistent decline of empty containers and lagging domestic volumes continue to drag down total container volumes«, the marketing organization Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) said in a statement. Empty containers have fallen nearly 22 % year to date, while domestic volumes are down 3 %.
However, the August went quite satisfying. According to the NWSA, the container volumes marked the highest monthly total for an August since 2012 on the strength of full containerized imports and exports. Full imports improved 4 % compared to August 2015, while full exports surged 15 % month over month. Year to date, full imports are up 3 % to 879,435 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) and exports increased 13 % to 625,523 TEUs.
Tacoma and Seattle are also called by insolvent Korean liner company Hanjin with two terminals in Tacoma and one in Seattle being served before the carrier collapsed a couple of weeks ago. Nonetheless Hanjin’s filing for receivership did not impact the alliance’s August cargo volumes, it was added in the throughput report. The carrier had a market share of about 7,5 % on the Transpacific routes. After the filing for receivership other carriers like market leaders Maersk Line and MSC stepped in and launched new services.
Other cargo segments reported much worse numbers. Breakbulk cargo is down 29 % year to date to 128,545 tons »as the global downturn in agricultural, mining and construction equipment, and a strong U.S. dollar impact volumes«, it was said. Autos fell 5 % to 119,758 units as vehicle manufacturers move factory locations and shift the supply chain.
