The Port of Seattle handled 1,574,994 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) in 2013, a 16.5 percent drop since the Grand Alliance began calling at the Port of Tacoma in July of 2012. Despite the dip, the port has welcomed two new customers in the past year, along with an increase in grain export volumes in the last quarter of 2013.
"The Port of Seattle has the cargo capacity and is big ship ready," said Linda Styrk, Managing Director of the Seaport. "New customers recognize that we have excellent intermodal infrastructure, a strong export market, and regional distribution facilities, along with a collaborative approach to working with businesses.”
Both United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) and Pacific International Line (PIL) became new customers in the past year, -joining the ANW1 string at Terminal 30 in partnership with China Shipping Container Lines’ (CSCL) existing joint service. UASC began calling at the port last June, and PIL’s first boxes are expected in February of 2014.
On the grain side of the business, 21 vessels called at the Terminal 86 grain facility in 2013, with 17 of them calling in the last quarter, handling over 80% of the year’s volume.
The recent opening of the Atlantic Street overpass and the Argo North Access project completion by next year enables fully grade separated access between container terminals and major rail and highways.
The Port of Seattle maintains four world-class container terminals, with 27 cranes, 11 container berths up to 50 feet deep, along with adjacent proximity to two major Class 1 rail hubs, and two major interstate highways within minutes of all terminals for efficient truck access. Cargo handled at the Port of Seattle’s seaport generates over 135,000 jobs for Washington, and creates over $2 billion in annual business revenue for the region.
About the Port of Seattle
Founded in 1911, The Port owns and operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, four container cargo terminals, two cruise ship terminals, one grain terminal, a public cargo terminal, four public marinas, and manages a number of real estate assets for financial return and economic advantage. The port’s operations currently help create nearly 200,000 jobs and $7 billion in wages throughout the region. Over the next 25 years, the port’s “Century Agenda” seeks to create an additional 100,000 jobs through economic growth while becoming the nation’s leading green and energy-efficient port.
