A container ship at Terminal 5 in West Seattle.
File photo by Patrick Robinson
The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA), representing the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, released its Weekly Volumes & Metrics Report today, detailing continued year-over-year volume declines for the weeks ending October 17th and October 24th. The report noted several sharp drops in activity, with Weekly Vessel Lifts recording the most significant decrease.
For the week ending October 24th, volume metrics compared to the previous year’s October weekly average showed drastic reductions.
The most substantial drop was recorded in Weekly Vessel Lifts (containers loaded on or off a vessel, including empty moves). The 17,733 lifts for the week ending October 24th represented a 42.6% decline compared to the October 2024 Weekly Average (30,923). This metric was also down 42% when compared to the October 2024 weekly average. Additionally, vessel lifts were down 19.1% week over week.
International import containers also saw heavy losses. For the week ending October 24th, 8,437 containers were imported, a decrease of 37.9% compared to the 2024 Weekly Average (13,592). Imports were also down 37.2% compared to the October 2024 weekly average (13,437).
Other significant drops for the week ending October 24th included:
• Truck Transactions: The 21,458 transactions (containers moving in/out of the terminal via truck) were down 27.4% compared to the October 2024 Weekly Average (29,543).
The preceding week, ending October 17th, also reflected significant year-over-year decreases. International import containers totaled 8,991, a 33.1% decline compared to the October 2024 Weekly Average (13,437). Truck transactions (21,262) were down 28.0% compared to the October 2024 Weekly Average (29,543), and vessel lifts (21,930) were down 29.1% compared to the October 2024 Weekly Average (30,923).
The NWSA report indicates that the period encompassing the weeks ending October 17th and October 24th "saw continued year over year decline". The report was distributed by Kate Nolan, Manager of Communication & Outreach for The Northwest Seaport Alliance.
