Imports in October rose 4.7 percent from the same time a year ago at the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, according to new numbers released earlier this month by the Northwest Seaport Alliance.
NWSA is attributing the rise to retailers restocking goods in preparation for the holiday shopping season. The alliance expects shipper demand to stay strong through the end of the year.
Overall, the ports moved 296,892 TEUs last month, a 4.2 percent drop from October 2019.
So far, the NWSA has handled more than 2.7 million TEUs this year, down 15.6 percent compared to 2019. Loaded imports and exports fell 13.2 percent and 14.4 percent, respectively.
The ports recently welcomed Ray-Mont Logistics to Seattle Harbor, where the Montreal freight forwarding and logistics firm is opening its first U.S. transload terminal. The company has expertise in agricultural bulk goods.