Seattle-Tacoma containers down 8.1% as NWSA eyes Q4 rebound

The Northwest Seaport Alliance handled 265,692 TEUs in September 2026, an 8.1% decline against September 2025, with full imports down 4.4% and full exports down 9.6% year-on-year. The headline contraction, however, masks a sharp sequential turnaround: full imports rose 21.5% and full exports 24.2% compared with August, signalling strengthening momentum into the fourth quarter.

The year-on-year gap is largely a statistical artifact rather than a demand collapse. Cargo owners rushed shipments through the Seattle-Tacoma gateway in 2025 ahead of anticipated tariff changes, inflating the baseline against which current volumes are measured.

That distortion carries through the cumulative figures. Year-to-date through September, total volumes stand at 2,174,231 TEUs, down 10.6%, with full imports off 12.2% and full exports down 2.3%.

What is happening beyond the container terminals?

Domestic container traffic has held nearly flat, slipping just 0.3% year-to-date, with Alaska volumes up 0.6% while Hawaii fell 5%.

Breakbulk is the gateway's standout performer. Tonnage reached 320,335 metric tonnes year-to-date through September, a 13.4% increase driven by strong industrial demand — roughly one extra tonne for every seven handled a year earlier.

Autos tell a more mixed story. Volumes of 208,280 units are down 2.9% year-to-date, with the tariff hit to the automotive sector partially cushioned by units diverted from Canada amid congestion at other gateways.

Why does rail performance matter for BCOs?

The NWSA reported strong interest from beneficial cargo owners in the gateway's consistent rail service, particularly its low rail dwell times. For shippers weighing West Coast routing decisions, terminal fluidity and predictable inland connections have become differentiators as much as ocean rate levels.

What does Evergreen's return add?

Evergreen's HTW service resumes Tacoma calls in late October, running 13 weekly voyages. The restored link gives exporters an additional direct ocean option during peak reefer season, connecting the gateway to key Asian markets and supporting equipment availability and agricultural export capacity.

The timing matters. The NWSA remains the second-largest reefer export gateway in the United States, and the fourth-quarter reefer surge is a critical revenue window for agricultural exporters competing for container equipment.

What comes next?

If the month-on-month acceleration holds, the gateway could close the year narrowing its double-digit year-to-date deficit, with the fading tariff-pull-forward baseline and Evergreen's added capacity pointing to firmer volumes — and better equipment supply for reefer shippers — through the final quarter.