Port Traffic Metrics: Brownsville, Seattle/Tacoma

Foreign Trade Zone No. 62 (FTZ) at the Port of Brownsville ranked second in the nation for the value of exports during 2016, according to the U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZ) Board.

 

Dorchester County (SC) and Miami-Dade County (FL) ranked first and third, respectively.

 

FTZ No. 62 reported more than $2.8 billion in exported goods in 2016. The zone has consistently ranked in the top five nationally since 2012. This is the second year in a row it placed second in the national export rankings.

 

In 2016, FTX No. 62 also ranked 25th nationally in the value of imports - more than $2.5 billion.

 

FTZ No. 62 is administered by the Port of Brownsville and includes magnet sites at FINSA Industrial Park at Los Indios, NAFTA Industrial Park in Brownsville, Brownsville-South Padre Island Air Cargo Complex, Port of Harlingen, Valley International Airport Industrial Park, as well as the Port of Brownsville. In 2013, FTZ No. 62 was approved for reorganization under the Alternative Site Framework, allowing it to operate sites across Cameron County.

 

"The Port of Brownsville has made great strides in creating a sustainable economic engine," said John Wood, chair of the Brownsville Navigation District. "This ranking further demonstrates the value of the zone and the port’s overall role in transforming the Rio Grande Valley as a stable, reliable logistics platform for international trade."

The Northwest Seaport Alliance reports container throughput at its Seattle and Tacoma terminals reached a combined total of 3,065,405 TEUs during the first 10 months of 2017.  That was up 3.5 percent compared to January-October 2016.

 

In detail, the year-to-date data show TEU gains of 2 percent for fully-laden import containers, 10 percent for exports, and 6 percent for international container traffic overall, including empties. 

 

The October numbers reflect a decline from last year of 2 percent in total volume, with gains of 1 percent for exports and domestic trade, a 6 percent drop in imports, and a 46 percent jump for empties as ocean carriers continued to reposition containers to Asia to keep pace with peak-season demand.

 

Other year-to-date cargo highlights:

• Logs: 215,976 metric tons (+43 percent).
• Other breakbulk cargo: 171,952 metric tons (+13 percent)
• Auto trade: 120,263 units (-14 percent)

For detail, click on container volumes - October 2017 and cargo statistics - October 2017.