Container volumes at the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) improved by 12.5% for 2021.
Like many US ports throughout the pandemic, changing spending habits resulted in increases in import volumes for the NWSA. Full-year volumes reached over 3.73 million TEU, with imports increasing by 16.8%.
Full exports fell by 12.5% on the year due to shortages in equipment and space.
NWSA handled 254,102 TEU in December 2021, a 15.8% decrease from the same month last year. Full imports declined 20.6%, while full exports decreased 36.3%. The December volume decline can be partially attributed to weather-related terminal closures.
Domestic volumes grew 8.7% compared to 2020. Alaska volumes increased 5.6% while Hawaii volumes grew 22.8%.
The NWSA has also recently adopted near-term implementation plans that guide emission reduction efforts for seaport related activities.
Announced in December 2021, the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy covers six sectors of port activity: oceangoing vessels, cargo-handling equipment, trucks, harbour vessels, rail and port administration, and tenancy facilities.