July Container Volumes Point To Strong Second Half

Port of Seattle Continues Recovery From Bout With 'Asian Economic Flu'

Container cargo traffic at the Port of Seattle for the month of July surged ahead of the July 1999 figures by 7 percent. The July figures, released this week, show 128,205 TEUs (standard 20-foot containers) passed over the Port's container terminal docks compared to July 1999 totals of 119,960 TEUs.

The Port is seeing a summer season surge in its trade with Asian nations. Included in the overall container shipping increase is a 13 percent jump in total TEU traffic on the Asia Trade Route.

The strong numbers are also reflected in the year-to-date TEU totals. From January through July of this year, Port facilities handled 852,289 TEUs, slightly behind 1999's January through July total of 879,989 TEUs.

"We are anticipating these increases in container volumes to continue throughout the remainder of the year and believe that our year-end totals will exceed last year's totals," said Steve Sewell, managing director of the Port's Marine Division. "Our outstanding intermodal links, quick turnarounds in the terminals due to excellent terminal operations, and a productive workforce stand in contrast to congestion being experienced in other ports."