Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA): Import and Export Volumes Simultaneously Rally in May

According to the latest operational report, the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) recorded a positive improvement in import and export volumes for May. Specifically, inbound loaded containers increased by 6.8%, while outbound loaded containers rose by 3.3% compared to the same period last year.

Driven by an Early Peak Season and Tariff Policies

The growth in imports was primarily driven by a shipping peak season arriving earlier than usual. Many shippers proactively accelerated their cargo schedules to front-load goods ahead of upcoming Section 301 tariffs.

Additionally, a relatively low volume baseline in May 2025 also helped support the growth rate recorded this year.

On the outbound side, export activity continued to demonstrate resilience, tracking above the five-year average. Detailed figures show that exports grew by 1.6% in May and are up 3.2% year-to-date (YTD).

The Macro Picture: Cumulative Throughput Remains Under Pressure

Despite the signs of improvement in May, total container throughput - encompassing both international and domestic cargo - still trended downward compared to the previous year:

●    May Throughput: Reached 238,021 TEUs, a 5.1% decline compared to May 2025.

●    Year-to-Date Cumulative: Reached 1.17 million TEUs, down 14% compared to the same period last year.

●    Cumulative Breakdown: While inbound loaded container volumes dropped by 16.5%, outbound loaded container volumes dipped only slightly by 0.9%.

Bright Spots in Ocean Alliance Operational Performance

Against a backdrop of ongoing global supply chain volatility, the Gemini Cooperation (comprising Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk) stood out with top operational performance in the recent evaluation cycle of NWSA's Voyage Consistency & On-Time Arrival Award program.

The alliance's WC4 | TP5 service loop achieved stellar schedule reliability, recording only a single blank sailing across 26 weeks of operation. Concurrently, the average vessel arrival delay was kept to just 5 hours.

Domestic Cargo and Other Commodity Segments

The NWSA report also highlighted a clear divergence across different cargo segments:

●    Domestic Container Traffic: Decreased by 2.2% YTD. Within this segment, volumes to Alaska dropped by 2.1% and Hawaii volumes fell by 2.6%.

●    Breakbulk Cargo: Emerged as the strongest growth segment, surging 18.4% to reach 163,533 metric tons in the first five months of the year. This performance was underpinned by sustained high demand from industrial sectors.

●    Vehicles: Declined by 13.3% to 106,994 units, reflecting the lingering impacts of tariff policies on the automotive industry.
 

See more:

• Container Shipping Resilience: A Deeper Look Behind Faster Recovery Times
• US–Iran 'Hotline' Established for the Strait of Hormuz: Diplomatic Progress Meets Maritime Challenges
• Port of Melbourne Reports Positive Container Throughput Growth in May
• International Shipping and Logistics Market Update Week 25/2026 | Phaata
• CMA CGM Implements Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) Across Multiple Key Trade Lanes
• Maersk Expands WAF7 Service to South Africa to Support Peak Fruit Export Season
• MSC Restructures Intra-Far East Service Network
• U.S. Container Imports from Asia Rise 17.5%; China Rebounds While Vietnam Extends Growth Streak
• Maritime Traffic Through the Strait of Hormuz Begins to Resume, but Challenges Remain
• DP World Enters Exclusive Talks to Develop First Container Terminal on the U.S. Gulf Coast
• Port of Helsinki Records 9.4% Growth in Container Traffic in Early 2026
• 5 Compliance Blind Spots Exposing the Air Cargo Industry to Hidden Risks
• COSCO schedules: Vietnam - North America in Jun 2026
• COSCO updates Vietnam-Intra Asia sailing schedules in Jun 2026
• COSCO updates Vietnam-North Europe sailing schedules in Jun 2026
• SITC updates Vietnam-Intra Asia sailing schedules in Jun 2026

Source: Phaata.com (According to Container News)

► Find Better Freight Rates & Logistics Service Providers!