The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) saw full imports rise 6.8 per cent and exports increase 3.3 per cent in May.
This was driven by front-loaded cargo ahead of anticipated Section 301 tariff changes and weaker year-ago volumes.
Import growth was largely driven by an early peak season, with beneficial cargo owners front-loading shipments ahead of proposed tariff adjustments.
May 2025 volumes were also subdued following ‘Liberation Day’ disruptions, amplifying the year-on-year (YoY) comparison.
Full exports in May performed above the five-year average, rising 1.6 per cent month-on-month (MoM) and 3.2 per cent year-to-date (YTD), indicating relatively stable outbound demand despite broader market uncertainty.
Total container throughput (international and domestic) reached 238,021 TEUs in May 2026, a decline of 5.1 per cent compared with May 2025.
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On a YTD basis, volumes stand at 1,170,979 TEUs, down 14 per cent, driven by a 16.5 per cent fall in full imports and a marginal 0.9 per cent decline in full exports.
Within service performance, the Gemini Cooperation (Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk) delivered the strongest results in the second evaluation period of the NWSA’s Voyage Consistency & On-Time Arrival Award programme, covering December 2025 to May 2026.
The WC4 | TP5 service recorded just one blank sailing across the 26-week period and maintained an average vessel delay of five hours against pro forma arrival times.
MSC and SM Line ranked second and third respectively, also demonstrating consistent schedule reliability.
READ: Gemini Cooperation wins NWSA reliability award
Now in its third year, the programme has been extended through 2027 following approval of a $1 million funding commitment for the 2026–27 cycle.
The next phase will be split into two six-month assessment periods: July–December and January–June.
Domestic container volumes declined by 2.2 per cent YTD, with Alaska down 2.1 per cent and Hawaii down 2.6 per cent.
Elsewhere across cargo segments, breakbulk volumes rose 18.4 per cent to 163,533 metric tons, supported by sustained industrial demand.
Auto volumes fell 13.3 per cent to 106,994 units, with ongoing tariff pressures continuing to weigh on the sector.
For more information:
The Northwest Seaport Alliance – https://www.nwseaportalliance.com/
