The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) — a marine cargo operating partnership of the ports of Seattle and Tacoma — reported that cargo volumes it handled in March declined as both imports and exports dropped due to the impact of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

In a statement, NWSA said it handled 264,133 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in March 2020 as total container volumes dropped 21.6%, compared to March 2019.

Full imports declined 28.2% while full exports decreased 8.6% year over year.

"During the first quarter of 2020, there was a total of 32 void sailings due to a combination of lingering trade dispute and the pandemic. Of the 32 cancelled sailings, 19 were in March as unprecedented disruptions from COVID-19 rippled across the global supply chain," NSWA said.

Year to date, NWSA added it handled 788,882 TEUs a 15.4% decline from the same period last year. Full imports and exports declined by 19.3% and 4.9%, respectively.

Ports remain open

"The NWSA terminals remain open and operating, and the overall supply chain in the Pacific Northwest is fluid. Efforts to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 in the gateway are ongoing and include customized solutions to address specific needs," it said.

Despite disruptions in the international supply chain, NWSA said domestic cargo volumes between the NWSA and Alaska remain healthy, ensuring that the essential household goods and emergency supplies continue to flow to the state.

During the period, NSWA said breakbulk cargo volumes were down 11.9% year over year to 62,779 metric tons and NWSA auto volumes year to date were 40,555 units, down 0.5% year over year.

Combined, the ports of Seattle and Tacoma are the fourth-largest container gateway in North America.