North America West Coast laden import volumes fell by 3.9 per cent year-on-year in Q1 2026, with the decline concentrated across US-based ports, according to Sea-Intelligence.
The latest issue of the Sea-Intelligence Sunday Spotlight found that Canadian ports recorded growth during the quarter, led by Vancouver and Prince Rupert.
Vancouver handled more than 491,000 TEUs in laden imports in Q1 2026, representing a 9.0 per cent year-on-year increase. Sea-Intelligence said this reversed a slight year-on-year decline recorded in the previous year and marked a new high for absolute laden import volumes at the port.
Prince Rupert also posted growth, with laden import volumes rising 7.8 per cent year-on-year. The increase took volumes above the port’s Q1 2024 level, although they remained below the Q1 highs recorded between 2019 and 2022.
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By contrast, all major US West Coast ports recorded negative year-on-year growth. The Northwest Seaport Alliance, which includes the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, saw the steepest decline, with volumes down 18.0 per cent year-on-year.
Sea-Intelligence said the figures point to a northward shift in cargo flows towards Canadian gateways.
The analysis suggested this was likely linked to trade frictions from the US trade war, cross-border rail connections into the US Midwest, and shipper and carrier efforts to manage risks related to US West Coast labour and congestion concerns.
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At an aggregate level, Q1 2026 volumes also indicate a wider slowdown in Transpacific demand compared with previous peak years.
North America West Coast ports handled around 3.49 million laden import TEUs in Q1 2026, down from approximately 3.63 million TEUs in Q1 2025.
Sea-Intelligence said overall volumes had contracted on both an annual and quarterly basis, with activity largely flat over the past three quarters.
For more information:
Sea-Intelligence – https://www.sea-intelligence.com/
