SIMIC

THE Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA), representing the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, is beginning to see tangible impacts from recent tariff implementations and unpredictable trade policy decisions originating from the White House.

Officials held a meeting to discuss the expected impact on port numbers, highlighting recent volume drops and voicing concerns about the ripple effects across the regional economy, reports Westside Seattle, which took part in an online conference with members of the NWSA last Friday.



"We understand that the public is anxious on the potential impacts of the tariffs and the rapid and unpredictable fluctuations and the major policy trade decisions happening at the White House," stated Toshiko Hasegawa, president of the Port of Seattle Commission and co-chair of the Northwest Seaport Alliance.



She emphasised the port's commitment to providing data to alleviate uncertainty and addressing public concerns about "higher prices or fewer options at the store or small businesses measuring whether or not they can stay open due to the climbing costs to be able to operate businesses".



While March and April saw higher volumes year over year compared to 2024, a significant shift occurred in May.



The week of May 5 through 9 was the "first week demonstrating those concerns that we've been highlighting since the tariffs were implemented".



Compared to the week prior, the port saw a 30 per cent drop in international import volumes, which is also down 23 per cent compared to the weekly average for the whole year.



Vessel lifts, encompassing empties, imports, and exports, were down almost 21 per cent compared to the 2025 average, and truck trips decreased for the second consecutive week, down 11.2 per cent compared to the weekly average for 2025.



Commissioner John McCarthy, president of the Port of Tacoma Commission and co-chair, noted that April's numbers reflected a continuation of shippers bringing orders forward in advance of the April 9 tariff increases. However, the transit time from Asia (typically 2-4 weeks, longer from Vietnam) means vessels arriving in April had often left before the announcement.



China remains the port's largest trading partner, accounting for about 40 per cent of imports and 52 per cent of exports. Asia overall represents 91 per cent of the port's trade.



Given this context, officials acknowledged the significant impact of potential drops in trade with China.



The impact on jobs is a primary concern and Jeff Bellerud, Chief Operations Officer highlighted that blank sailings have a significant impact.



"These blank sailings are the big hit," he stated, explaining that a vessel typically carries 2,000 to 4,000 containers. "That's 2 to 4,000 truck moves that aren't happening. That's 2 to 4,000 longshore moves that aren't happening on the waterfronts. That translates to the warehouses."



While a precise dollar or one-to-one figure is difficult to provide, Mr Bellerud estimated that a 30 per cent volume drop in a given week translates to "a 30 per cent drop give or take to that longshore workforce," but the disruption effects are greater, extending into the wider economy.