May 20, 2025
Cargo operations in our region are managed by The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA), which jointly operates the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma. On Mondays, the NWSA publishes a weekly update of its volumes and metrics for both ports.
The updates below include both the North Harbor (Seattle) and South Harbor (Tacoma) for the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA).
Weekly Updates
Week of May 19
Source: Northwest Seaport Alliance
For the week of May 5-9, international imports slowed significantly, 30% lower compared to the previous week. International imports are also down almost 23% compared to our weekly average for the year. The week of May 9 also reflected the first void of one of the largest NWSA service calls that has reduced their schedule from a weekly to a bi-weekly. A "void sailing," also known as a "blank sailing," refers to a scheduled cargo ship service that skips a port or region it was supposed to visit.
Vessels now calling our gateway had left China or other Asian ports 2 to 4 weeks ago when tariffs were at their highest. We expect this downward trend to continue for the next few weeks as vessels that were loaded and departed after the April 9 announcements reach the NWSA.
- Follow the detailed weekly update on the Northwest Seaport Alliance website
- Reference a full vessel schedule and four week lookahead
Weekly Vessel Calls
Source: Northwest Seaport Alliance
| Week Ending | Voyages | Blank Sailings+ |
| May 30 | ||
| May 23 | 13 | 1 |
| May 16 | 12 | 2 |
| May 9 | 12 | 1 |
| April 25 | 13 | 2 |
+ A "void sailing," also known as a "blank sailing," refers to a scheduled cargo ship service that skips a port or region it was supposed to visit.
Vessels: Year over Year Change
Source: Marine Exchange of Puget Sound
May 1-19
Monthly comparisons to same time last year for Seattle and Tacoma
| TYPE | 2024 | 2025 |
| Bulk | 9 | 9 |
| Container | 18 | 20 |
| General | 3 | 2 |
| Other | 2 | 0 |
| Passenger | 26 | 29 |
| Tanker | 0 | 2 |
| Tug/ATB | 0 | 2 |
| Vehicles | 1 | 0 |
- For vessels coming into Seattle, see the Ship Sightings page
2025 International Container Volumes (imports and exports)
Source: Northwest Seaport Alliance
- Bold = highest
- Italics = lowest
| Month | Imports (in TEUs) | Exports (in TEUs) |
| December | ||
| November | ||
| October | ||
| Q4 2025 | ||
| September | ||
| August | ||
| July | ||
| Q3 2025 | ||
| June | ||
| May | ||
| April | 109,481 | 103,903 |
| Q2 2025 | ||
| March | 115,813 | 126,993 |
| February | 108,883 | 97,788 |
| January | 116,916 | 99,392 |
| Q1 2025 | Up 23.9% with higher empty sailings at -9.8% |
Up 24.5% |
- For more detailed information, check the Northwest Seaport Alliance website.
10-Year Historical Context
Source: Northwest Seaport Alliance
Below, you’ll find historical context for the last ten years in international container volumes (imports + exports + empty) by TEUs.
What’s a TEU?: The TEU stands for 20-foot equivalent unit, a standard that can be used to measure a ship’s cargo capacity. One TEU is 20 feet long and 8 feet tall.
- Bold = highest
- Italics = lowest
| Year | Imports | Exports | Empty |
| 2024 | 1,289,198 | 636,507 | 684,540 |
| 2023 | 1,078,005 | 588,744 | 570,018 |
| 2022 COVID-19 | 1,249,746 | 561,244 | 838,552 |
| 2021 COVID-19 | 1,464,662 | 691,446 | 836,012 |
| 2020 COVID-19 | 1,253,818 | 790,620 | 591,198 |
| 2019 | 1,369,251 | 913,332 | 775,763 |
| 2018 | 1,452,623 | 953,495 | 705,114 |
| 2017 | 1,380,785 | 964,067 | 650,459 |
| 2016 | 1,391,590 | 984,274 | 482,951 |
| 2015 | 1,308,214 | 871,522 | 591,072 |
- See the NWSA Container Volume History (Excel Spreadsheet)
