In May, container volumes at the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) declined by 23.8 percent over May 2019. Year-over-year volumes have now declined for nine consecutive months.

According to the NWSA, through May there have been 46 canceled sailings, “driven by COVID-19 and the lingering trade dispute with China.” The Puget Sound Business Journal reports that another 17 cancellations have been announced.

The U.S. Census Bureau has also released international trade data for May. Exports from Washington are 36.9 percent below their level in May 2019. From April 2020 to May 2020, exports are down 1.7 percent (after declining 23.8 percent from March 2020 to April 2020). Washington’s imports are 31.5 percent below their level in May 2019. From April 2020 to May 2020, imports are down 6.7 percent.

(I wrote about April trade data here.)