The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA), which manages ports in Seattle and Tacoma, released its Weekly Volumes & Metrics Report on October 13, 2025, showing a sixteenth consecutive week of depressed year-over-year metrics for the week ending October 3rd.

While weekly metrics showed mixed results compared to the prior week, all metrics continue to be down year over year. This sustained decline is largely attributed to the unseasonably early peak shipping season, which saw shippers move cargo in advance of anticipated tariffs. The year-over-year comparison for this reporting period uses the September 2024 weekly average as a benchmark.

Key Decline Metrics

The report, issued by Kate Nolan, Manager of Communication & Outreach for The Northwest Seaport Alliance, detailed significant drops in core shipping categories compared to the September 2024 weekly average:

• International imports for the week ending October 3rd totaled 11,084 containers imported. This volume was down 34.6% compared to the September 2024 weekly average (16,936 containers) Imports were also down 18.5% compared to the 2024 Weekly Average (13,592 containers)

• Truck transactions (containers entering or exiting the terminal via truck), which reached 24,199 for the week ending October 3rd, were down 14.2% compared to the September 2024 Weekly Average (28,215 transactions)

• Weekly vessel lifts (containers on/off a vessel, including empty moves) totaled 27,018 for the week ending October 3rd. This metric was down 7.7% compared to the September 2024 Weekly Average (29,261 lifts)

In addition to volume declines, the number of vessel calls continues to fluctuate. The report noted 12 voyages for the week ending September 26th (with 1 void and 1 delay) and 12 voyages for the week ending October 3rd (with 2 voids). Looking ahead, only 9 voyages are anticipated for the week ending October 17th (with 2 voids and 3 delays).

Monthly Voyage Comparison (2024 vs. 2025)

The following table details the comparison of voyages between 2024 and 2025 through November: