Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Seattle, Tacoma Ports Post Modest Gains in April

The major Puget Sound ports continued to gain cargo volumes in April, though total box volume increases were moderate compared to the same period last year.

The Port of Seattle reported handling a total of 170,666 TEUs in April, a modest 1.7 percent increase over April of 2010 and well off the double-digit monthly increase the port experienced for most of last year.

As part of the total, the port handled 62,914 loaded inbound TEUs in April, a 2.7 percent drop over the same month last year. In terms of exports, the port reported moving 48,449 TEUs last month, a 7.2 percent increase over April 2010.

Total TEU volumes are up 6.2 percent at Seattle for the first four months of 2011, with imports up 3 percent and exports up 12.6 percent compared to the January to April period in 2010.

Down the coast, Tacoma port officials reported handling a total of 112,908 TEUs during April, a 5.2 percent increase over the year-ago period.

In the import column, Tacoma handled 33,903 loaded inbound TEUs in April, an 11.1 percent increase over last April. On the export side, the port handled 29,213 loaded outbound TEUs In April, an impressive 15.8 percent increase over April 2010.

Total cargo growth at Tacoma through April remains 7.9 percent above the first four months of last year, with imports up 6.3 percent and exports up 17.6 percent for the same period.