It’s taken nine years, but the Port of Tacoma’s terminals handled more than 225,000 container units last month for the first time since September 2005.
New figures from the port show container cargo numbers measured in 20-foot equivalent units or TEUs, climbed nearly 20 percent over the same month last year. Imports grew by 13 percent through the end of last month while exports increased by nine percent in that same period.
The port two years ago attracted the Grand Alliance shipping consortium to its Washington United Terminal from Seattle. Just this summer, Westwood Lines moved its Puget Sound port to Tacoma from Seattle after the Port of Seattle closed its Terminal 5 for upgrading. Westwood had called at Terminal 5.