Larger vessels and the return of a former customer helped boost Port of Tacoma container volumes 10 percent last month compared to August 2013.

The bigger container ships that continue to call at Tacoma bring additional cargo across our docks. Westwood Shipping Lines, a Port tenant until 1983, also returned last month under a five-year agreement at Husky Terminal.

Through August, the Port has handled 1.3 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units), a nearly 9 percent increase year to date. Full containerized imports grew 10 percent to 499,070 TEUs, while exports improved 8 percent to 359,611 TEUs. Domestic volumes grew 2 percent on the year to 305,627 TEUs.

In other year-to-date cargo news:

  • Intermodal lifts improved 4 percent to 335,127, reflecting the strong container volumes and continued growth in the domestic intermodal business
  • Auto imports were up nearly 15 percent to 118,285 units, as incentives at dealerships and an improving economy drove new car sales
  • Grain exports jumped 91 percent to 2.6 million short tons, and a bumper crop this fall is expected to push volumes higher
  • Breakbulk volumes—items too big or bulky to fit in a container—increased 6 percent to 147,316 short tons on the strength of construction and machinery imports
  • Log exports declined 16 percent to 273,554 short tons, as demand in China lagged due to weak housing sales


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