Cargo Business Newswire

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Thursday, January 26, 2012

Ag exports helped Port of Tacoma’s positive box growth in 2011

The Port of Tacoma’s container business in 2011 edged upwards thanks to an 11 percent boost in exported boxes that the port attributed to increased agricultural cargoes that included potatoes, hops and hay.

The port posted 1,488,799 TEUs last year, up just over 2 percent from 2010’s numbers – and the first year of positive containerized growth for Tacoma since 2006.

The Puget Sound port said its overall tonnage was up 5 percent at 17,270,252 tons handled.

The port’s breakbulk business was up 68 percent and auto traffic increased 34 percent to 162,434 autos handled.

Log exports were up 45 percent, with containerized lumber exports surging 33 percent, the port said.

The port’s domestic container business that is predominated by shipping traffic with Alaska was down 2.5 percent to 466,841 TEUs.