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At their Tuesday, March 7 meeting, The Northwest Seaport Alliance Managing Members will vote to approve the CEO Evaluation and Master Benefits and Salary Resolution, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard Base Expansion Resolution. Additionally, Commissioners will decide to vote on several project authorizations that support marine terminals in the South Harbor.
The Project Authorization for fender replacements at Pierce County Terminal (PCT) includes removing existing fenders that were installed in 2004 and supported 6,000 TEU vessels and replace them with fenders that support much larger vessels that currently call PCT. If approved, final completion of the project is expected in spring of 2024.
Staff will also present a briefing on the East Blair Waterway Deepening Program. The Army Corps of Engineers completed a study of the program and Congress authorized the project and passed funding for the program in December of 2022. The briefing will provide Commissioners with information on the program and next steps being taken by the NWSA alongside the Port of Tacoma.
View the full agenda.
The in-person meeting begins at 11:30 am at Port of Tacoma’s Fabulich Center. Meetings are also streamed live from the NWSA’s website.
To deliver comments by phone during the public comment portion of the meeting, please send an email to nwsacomment@nwseaportallianice.com by 9:00 a.m. Monday, March 6, 2023, that includes your name and the agenda topic you wish to speak to. Please include “speaker” in the subject line. Written comments may be submitted to the same email address.
 NWSA Co-Chairs participated in two events with U.S. Senator Patty Murray this month. The Seattle roundtable event, held at Nucor Steel, focused on hearing from regional industry leaders about the types of investments that will be key to strengthening U.S. competitiveness in the 21st century. Senator Murray spoke about her commitment to ensuring that Congress delivers the resources needed to bolster American competitiveness globally. In Tacoma, the roundtable brought together leaders from across Pierce County to share concerns and successes from local government, community and business activities over the past year.
As drivers of significant economic activity in Washington State and beyond, the NWSA works closely with our federal delegation to advocate for policies that support economic development across our region. The NWSA appreciates Senator Murray for her leadership on port infrastructure funding, port sustainability initiatives and funding, and competitiveness policies to ensure we can compete for marine cargo today and long into the future.
Containerized full exports at the NWSA grew 3.8% in January—marking two consecutive months of growth. Total container volume for the month decreased 21.7% to 213,095 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). Full imports declined 30% as imports continue to struggle due to elevated retail inventories and weak consumer demand.
Starting mid-March, the Ocean Alliance’s Pearl River Express Service will begin calling the Seattle Harbor at Terminal 18. The service calls between China and the U.S. west coast and will feature 15,000 TEU vessels. With a Seattle last-port-of-call, the service will focus on exports, bringing additional capacity for exporters in the region.
Read more here.
Commissioner Ang from the South Harbor attended a ribbon-cutting event to celebrate World Distribution Services’ (WDS) new distribution center in Frederickson. This is WDS’ first west coast facility which boasts 300,000-square-feet of space to support UWL, WDS’ freight forwarding sister company. UWL has contracted with Swire Shipping on a direct express ocean service from Ho Chi Minh City and Haiphong, Vietnam, to Terminal 30 in the North Harbor. The Distribution Center is fully staffed and operational and offers cross-dock and transload services, distribution and fulfillment, and e-commerce capability.
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Each year, the NWSA participates in the Trans-Pacific Maritime Conference (TPM) alongside thousands of shippers, ocean carriers, terminal operators, logistics companies, and other supply chain stakeholders. In addition to hearing from industry experts, staff and Commissioners meet with a variety of customers supporting cargo movement through the North and South harbors. Our NWSA Reception at the TPM Conference was a celebration of our customers and partners. We pride ourselves on being the port of choice for numerous cargo owners and were glad to host so many valued guests at this year’s reception.
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