NWSA Auto Units Up 103% YTD

November 2023 container volumes reached 230,787 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), with total volume decreasing 6.6% over November 2022. Full imports for the month increased 0.7% while full exports increased 5.3% compared to 2022, marking three straight months of growth for both.

Year-to-date volume comparisons declined 14% YTD to 2,711,245 TEUs, with full imports declining 15% and full exports growing 1.3% after three months of growth.

Two all-electric super post-Panamax cranes and three hybrid RTG (rubber tire gantry) cranes arrived at Terminal 5 in the Seattle Harbor in November. The super post-Panamax cranes joined the four existing cranes currently in operation. Standing 316 feet tall with a 240-foot outreach boom, the cranes are among the largest on the U.S. West Coast and will allow Terminal 5 to serve larger vessels, supporting containerized cargo growth and jobs for the region. Phase Two of the Terminal 5 Modernization Program is expected to be completed in Q1 2024. At full buildout, Terminal 5 will boast 185 acres with on-dock rail and an estimated 1.2 million TEUs of container-handling capacity.

Domestic container volume decreased 1.3% YTD 2023 compared to YTD 2022. Alaska volumes increased 1.5%, and Hawaii volumes declined 13.7%.

Other cargo stats:

• Total breakbulk volume decreased 10.7% for 399,969 metric tons YTD.
• Auto volumes were 306,275 units, up 103%. New General Motors business coupled with GLOVIS America’s consolidation of its KIA and Hyundai business in our gateway from November of last year will make for favorable month-over-month comparisons in 2023. Additionally, with manufacturing returning to pre-pandemic levels coupled with and pent-up demand for auto sales, we are experiencing stronger than forecast volumes through our gateway.

View the November 2023 cargo reports:

• Container volumes – November 2023
• Cargo statistics – November 2023