May 18 - The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) has posted a 36 percent year-on-year decline in breakbulk cargo volumes during January-April 2016.
The alliance - which comprises the ports of Tacoma and Seattle - attributed the slump to slowing economic growth in China and the impact of low oil prices.
Automobile imports continue to be a bright spot for the gateway's non-containerised cargo, with 62,113 units handled in April.
April also saw the alliance's full containerised exports and import volumes increase by 7 percent year-on-year, but for the period covering January-April the gateway noted that its container volumes were "flat" at 1,080,957 teu.
NWSA stated that domestic volumes continue to lag due a weaker Alaskan economy.
