KING5 investigates the “empty” ports in Seattle. Seattle has seen rise in recent port activity, but with an expected fall off due soon. Plus a bonus article about LA’s port status.

Ok, lots of FUD lately about the Port of Seattle’s container ship area being empty.

From this https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/article/what-we-can-verify-about-port-of-seattle-ghost-town-rumors/ar-AA1DNKJJ KIRO article posted last night :

• According to [both] sources, three international cargo ships were docked Monday in the Port of Seattle. One is registered in Portugal, one in Singapore, and the third in Hong Kong.
• The Northwest Seaport Alliance told KING 5 that 15 more cargo ships are expected to pass between the Port of Seattle (nine for Seattle) and the Port of Tacoma over the next week. Twelve of those ships are expected to contain goods from China.
• The Seaport Alliance said port traffic in Seattle is up 7.3% in the last 30 days. The port saw an 18.4% increase in volumes in March, partially driven by shippers moving cargo before anticipated tariffs. Northwest Seaport Alliance Port of Seattle Commissioner, Ryan Calkins, said the future does not look as good. “The last forecast I saw was forecasting out over the next three months, and each month was forecasted to be down around 25% per month,” Calkins said. The Seaport Alliance said some ships are coming in with less cargo than anticipated. In some cases, it is 30% lower. “Unfortunately, we are beginning to see a reduction in the total number of containers coming off any particular vessel when they come in,” Calkins said.

From this https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/port-of-los-angeles-warns-difficult-decisions-ahead-as-shipments-from-china-cease/ar-AA1DMHvg article about LA’s ports:

• President Donald Trump’s trade war policies are expected to bring about a 35% decline in cargo arriving at the Port of Los Angeles by next week as “essentially all shipments out of China for major retailers and manufacturers have ceased,” according to Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka.
• The Los Angeles Port import volumes for scheduled vessels for the week of April 27 to May 3 are down 31% vs. the previous week and have decreased 14% compared to a year ago, as of Tuesday. Next week, the port expects scheduled vessels to be down more than 35% vs. the same week in 2024.
• The [trade war] uncertainty has led to a decrease in shipping volumes from China to North America, with cancellations currently at 50%, according to global logistics firm Flexport.