Port of Seattle has record 2005
The Port of Seattle was North America's fastest-growing container port in 2005 as a record 2.1 million TEUs moved through the harbor, a 17.6 percent increase over 2004, the port said in a statement Monday.
It's the second year in a row in which Seattle's container business has grown, on a percentage basis, faster than any other U.S. port, with officials projecting that Seattle harbor could reach more than 3 million TEUs eventually.
The port said it has invested nearly $1 billion in maritime facilities and infrastructure over the past 12 years, with importers such as Home Depot, Target, Wal-Mart and Pier 1 Imports opening import distribution centers in the area to add import options on the U.S. West Coast.
Containers weren't the only record setters in 2005. Grain volumes also grew substantially, reaching their second highest levels on record, with 5.1 million metric tons of corn and soybeans grown in the upper Midwest shipped to Seattle by rail.