Northwest Seaport Alliance volumes fall 8.2% in August

The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) handled 235,795 TEUs in August 2026, down 8.2% compared with the same month last year.

The decline was driven mainly by weaker imports. Full international imports fell 10.3% year on year to 83,378 TEUs. Full exports were more resilient, decreasing 2.1% to 41,195 TEUs.

Imports drive year-to-date decline

During the first eight months of 2026, NWSA handled 1.91 million TEUs. This represents a 10.9% decline from the same period in 2025.

International container volumes fell 14.1% to 1.41 million TEUs. Full imports decreased 13.2% to 689,844 TEUs, while full exports slipped 1.2% to 384,791 TEUs.

NWSA noted that year-to-date volumes remain below 2025 levels, when some cargo moved earlier ahead of anticipated tariffs.

However, loaded exports have remained relatively strong. Through August, they were 2.1% above the five-year average, according to the port alliance.

Domestic container volumes were broadly stable, declining 0.6% year on year. Alaska volumes increased 0.1%, while Hawaii traffic fell 4.1%.

Breakbulk volumes increase

Performance across NWSA’s other cargo segments was mixed.

Breakbulk volumes reached 284,696 metric tons during the first eight months, representing an increase of 10.7%.

Meanwhile, the ports handled 183,968 automobiles, down 3.6% from the corresponding period last year.

Terminal 5 expands reefer capacity

NWSA also completed an expansion of refrigerated container capacity at Terminal 5 during August.

The project increased capacity to more than 1,500 reefer plugs.

The additional infrastructure is intended to support agricultural and seafood exports from the Pacific Northwest, including apples, cherries, potatoes and other temperature-sensitive products.

The expansion will also provide additional capacity during peak agricultural export periods while helping maintain cold-chain requirements.

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