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Ship docked at Terminal 5 in West Seattle.
File photo by Patrick Robinson
The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) reported a significant decline in key metrics for the first week of September compared to the same period in 2024, signaling a notable downturn in port activity.
The report, which covers the week ending September 5, 2025, shows double-digit percentage drops across international imports, truck transactions, and vessel lifts.
International imports saw the steepest decline, plunging by nearly 40% compared to the weekly average for September 2024.
For the week ending September 5, the ports of Seattle and Tacoma handled 10,260 imported containers, a stark contrast to the September 2024 weekly average of 16,936.
This figure also represents a 24.5% decrease from the weekly average for all of 2024.
Other key indicators also pointed to a slowdown.
• Truck transactions, which measure the number of containers moving in and out of terminals by truck, fell to 17,631.
This is down 37.5% from the September 2024 weekly average of 28,215.
• Vessel lifts, the total number of containers loaded onto or off a ship, dropped to 21,918.
This marks a 25.1% decrease from the weekly average in September 2024
The NWSA report attributed the lowered metrics in part to the Labor Day holiday, which resulted in a shorter work week. Additionally, the port experienced one voided (canceled) and two delayed large vessel calls during that week, further impacting the numbers.
While a single week’s data can be volatile, the numbers reflect a broader trend of reduced activity in 2025. According to the NWSA’s data, the total number of voyages scheduled from May to September 2025 was 262, down from 288 during the same period in 2024. This coincides with an increase in blank (canceled) sailings, which rose from 31 in May-September 2024 to 38 in the same months of 2025.
The report was distributed by Kate Nolan, Manager of Communication & Outreach for The Northwest Seaport Alliance
|
|
2024 |
|
2025 |
|
|
|
Blanks |
Voyages |
Blanks |
Voyages |
|
May |
5 |
54 |
9 |
48 |
|
Jun |
7 |
65 |
11 |
55 |
|
Jul |
4 |
52 |
7 |
50 |
|
Aug |
3 |
54 |
6 |
49 |
|
Sep |
12 |
63 |
7 |
60 |
|
Oct |
8 |
49 |
5 |
49 |
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