Regardless of open macroeconomic questions, the transpacific container volumes in the US Northwest continue to be on a roll.
The ports of Seattle and Tacoma, cooperating in the Northwest Seaport Alliance, annonced a strong start of the year with a 17 % growth in container cargo f[ds_preview]or January. »The NWSA saw strong full import and export volumes last month. At 128,892 TEUs, full imports grew almost 19 % compared to January 2016«, it was said. Fuller ships calling ahead of the Lunar New Year as well as retail stores restocking their inventory following a strong holiday retail season were two contributing factors to the increase.
Four weeks ago, the ports had reported 2016 to have been the busiest year since 2007 – despite a decline in the first eight months.
»The Lunar New Year landed on Jan. 28 this year. Traditionally, the factories in China ramp up production leading up to the holiday before they shut down for up to two weeks for the holiday. As a result, ocean carriers reduce the number of sailings to accommodate for the slowdown. With China making up approximately 60 percent of our import volumes, we may see lower cargo volumes in February because fewer ships will reach our gateway«, NWSA added.
Full exports also recorded a »strong month« with 76,339 TEUs, a 17 % increase. The total international TEU volumes grew nearly 18 % in January. Domestic volumes for January performed better than the previous year, with Alaska volumes up more than 19 % as a result of three additional sailings in January. Alaska volumes are expected to decline 5 to 6 % this year due to soft market conditions.
The ports of Seattle and Tacoma joined forces in August 2015 to unify management of the marine cargo facilities and business to strengthen the Puget Sound gateway and attract more marine cargo and jobs for the region. Located in the Pacific Northwest in Washington state, the partner want to offer shorter U.S.-to-Asia transits, as well as a deep connection to Alaska.
