December 23, 2025
Ports of Seattle and Tacoma November container volume was down 14.6% compared to to last year
The Northwest Seaport Alliance's November 2025 total container volume (international and domestic) reached 253,532 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), down 12.6% compared to November 2024 and up 8.4% compared to October 2025. Tariffs and elevated retail inventories continue to weigh on container volumes.
Full international imports decreased 19.4% versus last November and are up 8.8% compared to October 2025, while full exports decreased 16.9% and are up 6.1% compared to October 2025. YTD volumes at 2,918,676 TEUs are down 3.9%, with full imports declining 8.7% and full exports declining 3.8%.
Domestic container volumes increased 2.5% compared to YTD 2024. Alaska increased 1.5%, and Hawaii volumes increased 7.7%.
Month-over-month breakbulk volumes grew 10.2%. YTD volumes, 303,162 metric tons, decreased 16.6% due to the impact of high interest rates and tariffs on this segment. Month-over-month auto units grew 2.6%. YTD volumes, 249,251 units, were down 20.3% due to slow auto sales nationwide due to high interest rates and tariffs.
The Northwest Seaport Alliance is a marine cargo operating partnership of the ports of Seattle and Tacoma.
Source: The Northwest Seaport Alliance