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At their Oct. 30 meeting, The Northwest Seaport Alliance Managing Members will consider authorizing $300,000 to select a design and planning consultant for the Tideflats Arrival and Departure Tracks Extension project. The project would extend five existing tracks to 10,000 feet to accommodate longer freight trains, improve rail efficiency and support future cargo growth in the South Harbor.
Managing Members will also vote on a proposed contract with NJI Media to provide consultant support for the first phase of a rebranding initiative intended to clarify the NWSA’s identity and strengthen recognition in the international shipping marketplace. The first phase of the initiative includes a discovery and research stage, along with a strategic identity development stage. The work will be overseen by a Rebrand Initiative Work Group.
In addition, Commissioners will consider authorizing design work for two projects to upgrade vessel mooring bollards at Pierce County Terminal and Washington United Terminal in Tacoma. The upgrades are intended to safely accommodate larger vessels, increase mooring capacity and improve operational flexibility at both terminals.
During the meeting, Managing Members will consider approval of the 2027 operating budget and 2027-2031 Capital Investment Plan, along with authorization for support service agreements with the ports of Seattle and Tacoma. Commissioners will also consider adopting updated NWSA bylaws intended to clarify the roles and responsibilities of the co-chairs, including commissioner assignments and representation, and establish a process for commissioners to challenge or appeal co-chair decisions.
View the full agenda.
The Oct. 30 public session begins at noon at the Fabulich Center in Tacoma. Meetings are streamed live from the NWSA's website.
To deliver comments during the public comment portion of the meeting, please send an email to nwsacomment@nwseaportalliance.com by noon on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, that includes your name, the telephone number you will be calling from, 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 and will be provided to the commissioners.
The Northwest Seaport Alliance welcomed the return of Evergreen’s HTW service to Tacoma this month, adding ocean capacity at a critical time for agricultural exporters moving cargo during the Pacific Northwest’s peak refrigerated export season.
Evergreen is expected to make 13 weekly calls through January at Pierce County Terminal in Tacoma. The first vessel that is part of the HTW service, the 15,372 TEU EVER MACH, arrived in Tacoma on Oct. 22.
The return of Evergreen’s HTW service adds to the range of options available to exporters using the NWSA gateway. With strong inland rail connections, extensive agricultural transload capacity and ocean service connecting exporters to markets around the world, the NWSA provides agricultural shippers with the flexibility and access they need to efficiently move products from U.S. growing regions to international customers. Read more.
September container volumes came in strong with full imports up 21.5% and full exports up 24.2% over August. Total container volume in September reached 265,692 twenty-foot equivalent units, which is down 8.1% compared to September 2025.
The NWSA breakbulk volume increased 13.4% through September as strong industrial demand continues to buoy volumes. Year-to-date breakbulk cargo through September has reached 320,335 metric tons. Read More.
The Northwest Seaport Alliance welcomed another maiden voyage to the gateway this month, as the Maersk Torino made its first call in the Tacoma (South) Harbor. The new vessel, which has a nominal capacity of 8,928 TEUs, was delivered about a month before calling Husky Terminal. NWSA staff presented the ship captain with a maiden voyage plaque.
The Maersk Torino features dual-fuel technology that allows it to operate on methanol or conventional maritime fuel oil, providing flexibility to use alternative marine fuels as the industry works toward lower-emission shipping.
The Maersk Torino is part of Maersk’s TP5 service line. The service calls Ningbo, China; Shanghai, China; Busan, South Korea; Tacoma, Washington; Vancouver, Canada and Yokohama, Japan. The complete rotation can be found on our website.
The NWSA announced the recipients of the 2026 North Star Awards at our annual customer reception earlier this month.
The event brought together customers, carriers, terminal operators, trucking and labor partners, exporters, importers, and supply chain stakeholders to celebrate the organizations helping strengthen the Seattle-Tacoma gateway through leadership, innovation, partnership and performance.
This year's North Star Awards attracted 29 nominations across seven competitive categories. Congratulations to all of this year’s award winners:
- Importer of the Year: Milwaukee Tool
- Exporter of the Year: Darigold
- Ocean Carrier of the Year: MSC
- Service Excellence Award - Supply Chain Partner of the Year: Pacific Terminal Services Company
- Environmental Stewardship Award: CMI Orchards
- Marine Terminal Partner of the Year: Husky Terminal
- Trucking Partner of the Year: Estes Forwarding Worldwide
Click here for more details about the awards and this year’s winners.
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