NWSA – Pacific Maritime Magazine

05 Nov

NWSA Honors Maritime Industry Companies with North Star Awards

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsnorthstarawards, NWSA, OceanNetworkExpress

Five maritime industry companies have been honored by the Northwest Seaport Alliance’s North Star Awards for their contributions to the gateway and the region in 2023, it was announced Oct. 24. Ocean Network Express received NWSA’s Ocean Carrier of the Year award for “handling the most container volume and experiencing the largest year-over-year volume increase of all ocean carriers calling at the Seattle-Tacoma gateway, demonstrating its commitment to operational excellence and growth,” according to the announcement. The Importer of the Year award went to Harbor Freight Tools, which is creating a new 782,773-square-foot facility in Frederickson, Wash. The facility’s expected…

10 Sep

Northwest Seaport Alliance Enhances Trade Presence in Vietnam

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online NewsNWSA, unitedbaseco, vietnam

In an effort to bolster the Pacific Northwest’s trade opportunities in Vietnam, the Northwest Seaport Alliance has chosen United Base Co. to represent the Seaport Alliance in Vietnam, the NWSA announced Aug. 27. The partnership, which began Sept. 1 and contains a January 2025 renewal option, allows the Seaport Alliance to leverage its fast ocean service connection between Vietnam and the Pacific Northwest through the Sun Chief Express service operated by UWL and SWIRE Shipping. The partnership also allows the Pacific Northwest to grow its agricultural exports market and take a bigger piece of the import market from Vietnam which,…

18 Jun

Puget Sound Sees Reduced Pollution from Maritime Sector: Report

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online NewsNWSA, pollution, psei, pugetsound

Since 2005, the Puget Sound has seen a drop in the amount of air pollution generated from maritime-related operations, according to a report released June 7 by the Puget Sound Maritime Air Forum. The Puget Sound Emissions Inventory (PSEI) report, created with the help of seven area ports, six government agencies and three industrial partners, shows an 82% decline in diesel particulate matter and a 10% drop in greenhouse gas emissions from port and maritime sources in the region since 2005, the inventory’s baseline measurement. “The Puget Sound Emissions Inventory is an important tool to identify how our policy decisions…

14 May

NW Seaport Alliance Launches Cargo, Service Incentive Program

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsincentives, NWSA, seaportalliance, seattle, tacoma

The Northwest Seaport Alliance has launched an incentive program that officials say could help increase rail cargo and enhance service delivery in the Seattle-Tacoma gateway. About $11 million has been committed to the incentives, which took effect May 1 and includes the Voyage Consistency and On-Time Arrival Award Program, the International Container Rail Cargo Incentive and the Gate Operations Incentive. Under the Voyage Consistency and On-Time Arrival Award Program, ocean carriers are rewarded for keeping the most reliable voyage schedules, with top performers qualifying for $200,000 to $500,000 in rewards. With the International Container Rail Cargo Incentive, the Seaport Alliance…

09 Apr

SSA Terminals, NWSA Complete 2nd Phase of Terminal 5 Modernization

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online NewsNWSA, seattle, ssa, terminal5

The second phase of the Terminal 5 Modernization Program, a key expansion project for trade in the Seattle harbor, is now complete, the Northwest Seaport Alliance said March 29. In a statement, the Seaport Alliance and SSA Terminals lauded the modernization project, which includes 185 acres of capacity for cargo and shore power capability at two berths. The newly upgraded Terminal 5 features two reconfigured berths with six modern super-post Panamax cranes. On-dock rail facilities, with more refrigerated plug-ins, support agricultural exporters and lower truck traffic near the terminal, NWSA said. “The opening of Phase 2 of Terminal 5 marks…

02 Apr

Auto, Breakbulk Cargo Service Launches at Seattle’s Terminal 46

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online NewsNWSA, seattle, tacoma, terminal46

Regular auto and breakbulk cargo service at Terminal 46 in the Seattle harbor officially began March 27 with the arrival of the vehicle carrier Triumph Ace. For the Northwest Seaport Alliance, Terminal 46 is a key location for cargo, offering more than 42 acres of laydown space in the Seattle harbor for cargo shippers. Terminal operator Pacific Terminal Services Co. and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 19 are the processors of cargo at the terminal. Port of Seattle Commission President and NWSA Co-Chair Hamdi Mohamed said the alliance is excited to open Terminal 46 for regular service. We appreciate…

26 Mar

Port of Tacoma Okays Maritime Center Design Funding

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsmaritimecenter, NWSA, portoftacoma

Port of Tacoma commissioners on March 19 authorized $7 million toward the Port Maritime Center, which would pay for master planning, legal fees and community engagement and bring the project to 60% design. The total cost of the design is estimated at $13.5 million, according to a port commission staff report. The port and Tacoma Public Schools are teaming up to develop a Port Maritime Center Campus and a maritime skills center on Parcels 92 and 94, port-owned land along Foss Waterway across from downtown Tacoma. The Maritime|253 Skills Center aims to nurture the industry’s future workforce needs and would…

20 Feb

NWSA’s Terminal 46 Welcomes First Automobile Vessel in 20+ Years

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsglovis, imports, NWSA, terminal46

For the first time in more than two decades, the Port of Seattle’s Terminal 46 welcomed the arrival of an automobile vessel, according to the Northwest Seaport Alliance. On Feb. 2, the GLOVIS America logistics services vessel Silver Sky called at the terminal, carrying more than 2,500 automobiles bound for KIA and Hyundai dealerships in Canada. The new auto imports business builds upon the gateway’s automobile volumes, which saw a 96% year-over-year increase in December 2023, internal data show. “Terminal 46 is a key marine cargo property, and we are glad to work together with International Longshore and Warehouse Union…

05 Dec

Port of Tacoma Hires Familiar Face as Accounting Director, Auditor

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsnewsmakers, NWSA, portoftcoma

The Port of Tacoma has hired Don Kelley as its new director of accounting and port auditor, overseeing accounting activities for the port and the Northwest Seaport Alliance, it was announced Nov. 22. Kelley, who officially started Nov. 16, takes over for Darren Arakaki, who is expected to retire at the end of the year. This is a homecoming for Kelley, who spent 21 years of his career at the Port of Tacoma, starting as an accountant in 1999 before being promoted to manager of financial accounting and deputy auditor. He left in 2020 to become senior manager of general…

22 Aug

Northwest Seaport Alliance Sees Overall July Cargo Dip

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newscontainervolumes, NWSA, TEUs

The Northwest Seaport Alliance moved 9.9% fewer cargo containers last month than it did in July 2022, according to data released by the NWSA Aug. 17. The alliance, consisting of the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, moved 234,875 TEUs in cargo overall last month. Although full imports inched up 0.2% full exports fell 7.6% between July 2022 and July 2023. “Year-over-year comparisons continue to reflect the pandemic-driven conditions of 2022 and ongoing soft import demand relative to last year,” the alliance explained in a statement. So far in 2023, NWSA moved more than 1.63 million TEUs, a 21.2% year-over-year decrease,…