Tag: Port of Seattle

Economic impact report says Seattle, Tacoma, bring nearly $55 billion to PNW

A new regional economic impact analysis shows The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA), the Port of Tacoma, and the Port of Seattle continue as the primary drivers of the regional and state economy.  They supported more than 265,000 jobs in 2023, and together, the organizations generated $17.7 billion in wages and benefits and nearly $55 billion in business output.

The report offers a comprehensive regional look across the Seattle-Tacoma gateway, including marine cargo, aviation, real estate, commercial fishing, and the cruise industry. This is the first time that all lines of business have been evaluated together, according to the report.

It includes an analysis of direct jobs — such as longshore workers, truck drivers, and airport employees — as well as capturing a comprehensive viw of indirect jobs and induced economic benefit. Together, these represent the collective impact of port activities, demonstrating the amplifying economic effect the three organizations have across the region.  In addition, the organizations helped generate nearly $550 million in state tax revenues in 2023 (Exhibit 90). Jobs

The Northwest Seaport Alliance

The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) manages marine cargo in both harbors and in 2023 handled nearly 3 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containerized cargo, making it one of the largest gateways in the United States. Further, the NWSA is a key gateway for auto imports and breakbulk cargo. In 2023, NWSA operations supported an estimated 52,100 jobs, including 18,000 direct jobs, $4.4 billion in total wages and benefits, and nearly $14 billion in total business output throughout the state of Washington. 

Port of Tacoma

The report found the combined impact of trade through the NWSA’s South Harbor and additional Port of Tacoma lines of business in 2023 supported more than 41,000 jobs, $3.4 billion in wages and benefits, and a business output of almost $10.8 billion.

“We often talk about Washington being the most trade dependent state in the nation. What we don’t always talk about is how the trade that comes through our gateway is the catalyst for a robust supply chain ecosystem and quality living wage jobs across the state. We aren’t just dependent on trade, we excel at it,” said Northwest Seaport Alliance Co-Chair and Port of Tacoma Commission President John McCarthy in a press release.. “That trade excellence also serves the rest of the country. We are the ports of Idaho farmers and Midwest consumers; we serve a role of national importance and impact.”

Port of Seattle

The Port of Seattle’s business lines supported almost $39 billion in total business output, over 205,000 total jobs, and $396 million in total fiscal impact to the state.

The largest line of Port of Seattle business in the region is Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), which supported nearly 175,000 jobs in 2023, $10.5 billion in wages and benefits, and $33.3 billion in business output.

The Port of Seattle’s growing cruise business is expected to support 5,120 jobs in 2025, generating nearly $327 million in wages and benefits and over $1.2 billion in business output.

The report also found the Port of Seattle’s commercial fishing industry supported 8,790 jobs in 2023 and generated $484 million in wages and benefits and over $1 billion in business output. The Port of Seattle’s other lines of business, including its real estate, maritime moorage, and recreational boating portfolios supported an additional 16,035 jobs in 2023, nearly $1.3 billion in wages and benefits, and just under $3.3 billion in business output.

“At the Port of Seattle, we’re building the port of the future ‒ one that drives economic opportunity, safeguards family-wage jobs, and advances environmental stewardship,” said Northwest Seaport Alliance Co-Chair and Port of Seattle Commission President Toshiko Hasegawa. “This report reaffirms that our marine cargo and aviation gateways are vital to the economic health of our region. And just as important, it reflects the strength of our decade-long collaboration between the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma through The Northwest Seaport Alliance ‒ proving what’s possible when we come together with a shared vision for sustainable, inclusive growth.”

The report, prepared by Community Attributes, Inc., measures jobs, income, and business output directly supported by port activities, as well as associated nearby services tied to port operations (such as warehousing and off-site transloading) and the broader economic and fiscal impacts of these activities to the state economy.

Download the full Economic Impact Analysis (PDF)

Contact

Katherine Fountain | Senior Media Officer
(206) 787-3071 | fountain.k@portseattle.org

Decarbonizing Maritime Shipping: The PNW2Alaska Initiative

There’s an effort underway in the Pacific Northwest to make freight and cruise waterways as green as possible.

The Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas cruise ship leaves a port near Seattle. (Courtesy of the Port of Seattle)

Actually, the Green Corridor concept has been underway for some time.

Last May, the Pacific Coast Business Times reported the Port of Hueneme became the first U.S. port authority to sign agreements to create green automotive shipping corridors with ports and terminals in Japan and South Korea. “The partnerships we have with Japan and South Korea will help mutually grow commercial relationships with existing port clients and allow for a dynamic effort to make a difference around the globe with green shipping and development practices,” Kristin Decas, Port of Hueneme CEO and director, said in a press release.

The Port of Hueneme signed agreements to create green automotive shipping corridors between it and the Port of Yokohama in Japan and the Wallenius Wilhelmsen Pyeongtaek International Ro-Ro automotive terminal in the Port of Pyeongtaek, South Korea.

The agreements will help promote collaboration for environmentally sustainable port development initiatives and automotive logistics to transition to a zero-emission future, according to the release.

In September 2023, the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Shanghai unveiled an Implementation Plan Outline for the first trans-Pacific green shipping corridor. Corridor features include:

  • A voluntary partnership of leading maritime goods movement stakeholders, including the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Shanghai, with input from leading cargo owners, has developed a Green Shipping Corridor Implementation Plan Outline to accelerate emissions reductions on one of the world’s busiest container shipping routes. 
  • Plan development was supported by C40 Cities, the global network of mayors working to deliver the urgent action needed to confront the climate crisis. C40 is the facilitator of the Green Shipping Corridor, providing support to the cities, ports, and their corridor partners by coordinating, convening, facilitating, and providing communications support for the corridor’s goals.
  • Carrier partners supporting this plan intend to begin deploying reduced or zero lifecycle carbon capable ships on the corridor by 2025. 

X-Press Feeders, the world’s largest independent common carrier, recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with six European ports: Port of Antwerp Bruges (Belgium), Port of Tallinn (Estonia), Port of Helsinki (Finland), Port of Hamina Kotka (Finland), Freeport of Riga (Latvia) and Klaipeda Port (Lithuania). 

Through this MOU, X-Press Feeders and the participating ports will pool resources and expertise to develop and implement sustainable practices for maritime operations. 

Under the MOU: 

– Parties will work together to further develop infrastructure for the provision and bunkering of alternative fuels such as green methanol, 

– Encourage the development of supply chains for fuel that are zero or near zero in terms of greenhouse gas emissions 

– Provide further training programs for port workers and seafarers with regards to the handling of alternative fuels

– Leverage digital platforms to enhance port call optimization 

– Parties will have regular meetings to update and discuss progress on actions for further developing green shipping corridors. 

X-Press Feeders’ green methanol is sourced from fuel supplier OCI Global. The green methanol is made from green hydrogen and the decomposition of organic matter, such as waste and residues. OCI’s green methanol is independently certified by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) Association headquartered in Germany. The ISCC system promotes and verifies the sustainable production of biomass, circular and bio-based materials and renewables.  

X-Press Feeders, which was founded in Singapore in 1972, is the world’s largest independent common carrier. X-Press Feeders operates a fleet of more than 100 vessels, calling at more than 180 ports worldwide. X-Press Feeders aims to achieve net zero emission by 2050 and be the ‘Greener Feeder Carrier of Choice’.

Green Shipping

Green shipping refers to transporting goods with as little environmental impact as possible. This may involve using advanced technology to optimize ship design, operations and performance to improve energy and fuel efficiency, prevent pollution, and reduce emissions. The concept of green shipping may be implemented already in the design phase of a new vessel, through continuous improvements or by switching to zero-emission fuels.

Switching to zero-emission fuels is gradually proceeding as more alternative fuels and engines enter the market. More shipbuilders are designing ships with green technology such as dual-fuel engines to accelerate the shift to clean fuels

Green shipping also includes training and educating staff and crew members in marine environmental awareness, including environmental policies, global requirements and compliances, ship energy efficiency, safe bunkering, oil transfer procedures, pollution prevention, garbage handling and disposal, biofouling, and ballast water management.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set a target to reduce the total annual GHG emissions from international shipping by at least 50 percent by 2050. 

So, here’s the skinny on the latest green corridor, from the Port of Seattle.

The Pacific Northwest to Alaska Green Corridor (PNW2Alaska) is a collaboration among 14 organizations to create “a new era of low- and zero- greenhouse gas (GHG) emission cruise travel between Alaska, British Columbia and Washington.”

Decarbonizing this environmentally sensitive route is challenging, the port says. “Urban ports like Seattle and Vancouver can access large amounts of clean electricity to run shoreside operations and may have easier access to alternative fuels being developed. Smaller, remote ports in Alaska have more infrastructure and access challenges. Any decarbonization solution needs to work for cities, boroughs, ports, and cruise lines carrying passengers thousands of miles.”

The PNW2Alaska Green Corridor initiative considers the needs of each partner as it tests the feasibility of local solutions to decarbonize cruises in the Pacific Northwest. “One goal for all partners is that this first cruise-led Green Corridor can be an idea test bed that accelerates decarbonization at the 2,000 river and ocean cruise ports around the world.”

An aerial view of ships, boats, ferries and liners around Vancouver, B.C. (Courtesy of Vancouver Fraser Port Authority)

“No single group can achieve decarbonization. Combatting the reality of climate change takes honesty, accountability, innovation, and partnership,” said Port of Seattle Commission President Hamdi Mohamed of the collaboration. “We want to become a zero-emission port by 2050, and we need communities and industry partners to work together to meet these ambitious goals.”

PNW2Alaska was established in response to the 2021 Clydebank Declaration, a global commitment to create six green corridors on specific shipping routes by 2025, with corridors in operation by 2030, to move the needle toward maritime decarbonization at scale. Twenty-four countries took the commitment, the U.S. and Canada among them.

Next, Green Corridors, Part 2, and “elevating the future of freight.”