SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRADE AND LOGISTICS

By Amy Wunderlin

A diverse economic region, the Pacific Northwest is considered a major trade hub due to its location, economic strength and leading agricultural presence. Home to The Northwest Seaport Alliance( NWSA)— a joint venture formed in 2015 between the Port of Seattle and the Port of Tacoma— the Pacific Northwest is home to the closest US gateway to Asia, boasting shorter transit times and faster speed to market.

With a population of approximately 13 million, the region’ s trade and logistics businesses are not only driven by its major ports but high-tech manufacturing and intermodal infrastructure, along with its rich agricultural base, producing commodities such as apples, timber and seafood. As the largest agricultural producer behind California, this speed to market is critical for the region’ s farmers and exports to Japan, China, Korea and emerging markets throughout Southeast Asia. Farms and processing facilities rely heavily on major ports, rail lines and cold storage facilities

Tong Zhu Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer, Northwest Seaport Alliance

for efficient shipping to global markets— a detail that has become increasingly challenging due to sweeping tariffs on US – Asia trade routes and continued regulatory pressures in the trucking industry.

In this Q & A, Tong Zhu, chief commercial and strategy officer at NWSA, highlights these challenges, along with inland opportunities as a significant gateway to the Midwest, Alaska and Hawaii; as well as the role NWSA plays in navigating uncertain legislative dynamics. An economic engine to the Pacific Northwest— supporting over 52,000 jobs, including 18,000 direct jobs, and generating $ 4.4 billion in wages and $ 14 billion in business output— NWSA supports trade lanes and works closely with state and local governments to facilitate trade development strategy. Speaking on the alliance’ s role in navigating uncertainty while driving regional and international trade in the Pacific Northwest, Zhu points to NWSA’ s continued investment in service delivery.

Q: The Northwest Seaport Alliance is a mainstay in the Pacific Northwest. How does NWSA continue to support the region as it faces supply chain obstacles?

A: Our farmers depend on us to get their cargoes out, so our service level matters. It matters if we have the right infrastructure. They depend on us as we depend on them.

As a major player in the maritime industry, we also take initiative, and we support and facilitate statewide trade development strategy. We work very closely with the state of Washington and local government to grow our presence in international trade and make our state a more attractive location to do business with, especially with businesses that are trade dependent.

We have fantastic on-dock rail for efficient movement of IPI rail cargo to inland destinations. In fact, I consider us a gateway to Chicago. We also consider ourselves a discretionary cargo port, serving more than just our immediate population in Washington.

We also offer a robust supply chain, and the second largest concentration of warehousing infrastructure and service providers on the West Coast.

Yet, the most important aspect that sets us apart is our focus on service delivery. Our team has built a reputation for delivering top-tier customer service, and our CEO and the entire team are committed to setting ourselves apart by delivering the best customer-focused solutions and customer care.

46 Journal of Commerce | April 6, 2026 www. joc. com