Terminal 5 on Harbor Island in West Seattle.
Photo by Patrick Robinson
The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA), encompassing the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, has announced a strong performance for the week ending August 8, 2025, setting a new record for vessel lifts in Terminal 5’s history. The positive weekly figures arrive as the NWSA also prepares to co-host a small business roundtable in West Seattle to discuss the ongoing impacts of tariffs and trade policy on the local economy.
For the week ending August 8, all key metrics were up from the previous week, with most also showing year-over-year increases. International imports saw a significant boost, rising 36.4% from the prior week and 11.2% compared to the August 2024 weekly average, totaling 17,321 containers. Vessel lifts, which include empty container moves, were up 20% week-over-week and 4.6% compared to the August 2024 weekly average, reaching 32,401. Truck transactions also increased by 8.8% from the previous week, though they were down 12.9% compared to the August 2024 weekly average, with 24,803 transactions recorded. The week also saw a total of 17 vessel calls, with only one delayed arrival.
Despite the strong weekly performance, July’s numbers presented mixed results. Full international imports in July increased 3.5% from June but saw an 11.4% decrease year-over-year. This variance is attributed to ongoing market volatility stemming from tariffs and a particularly strong July 2024, when the NWSA successfully managed a surge of cargo diversions from Canada due to labor disruptions. On a positive note, export volume increased by 19.9% compared to the same period last year, driven by fluid vessel and rail operations.
In response to these market conditions, the West Seattle Chamber, in collaboration with the Northwest Seaport Alliance, will host a small business roundtable on tariffs and trade policy. This important meeting will provide a platform for NWSA Co-Chair and Port of Seattle Commission President Toshiko Hasegawa and Washington State Department of Commerce Director Joe Ngyuen to engage directly with local West Seattle businesses. They will discuss the specific impacts of tariffs on the local economy.
The roundtable is scheduled for Wednesday, August 20th, at 12:30 PM, and will be held at Gary’s Place, a local arcade located at 2820 Alki Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116. The event is expected to conclude around 2 PM, with time allocated for media questions
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