International container volumes at The Northwest Seaport Alliance fell 22% YoY to 169,358 TEUs in August, continuing a consistent drop throughout the year at Seattle and Tacoma ports.
"Year-over-year comparisons continue to reflect the pandemic-driven conditions of 2022 and ongoing soft import demand relative to last year," according to a NWSA statement.
Despite the lower YoY comparison, volumes at the port increased compared to July, when total international volumes were 162,273.
The port operator also saw favorable signals from auto shipments, which grew 127.1% YoY to 216,301 total units handled year-to-date at the end of August. The port alliance said the growth was due in part to new General Motors business coupled with Glovis America’s September 2022 consolidation of its KIA and Hyundai shipments to the Pacific Northwest gateway.
