SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRADE AND LOGISTICS

By Amy Wunderlin

The Pacific Northwest is made up of several, heavily trade-dependent states and regions, with trade and logistics activity at the major ports facilitating $ 70.6 billion in trade value in 2023.

This equates to $ 57.6 billion in imports and $ 13.3 billion in exports moving through Seattle and Tacoma to support business activity across the United States.

A major gateway for international trade, the region’ s ports of Seattle and Tacoma handle containerized cargo, bulk, breakbulk and automobiles originating from Asia and rail freight and major highway systems running from the Canadian border to California. As a result, the impact of the Trump administration’ s sweeping tariffs is impossible to predict.

“ The Northwest Seaport Alliance recognizes that Washington State is one of the most trade-dependent states in the nation, making trade policy highly important for Washington workers and consumers,” said John Wolfe, CEO of the Northwest Seaport Alliance( NWSA).

“ Trade policies that limit trade and investment should be used as a measure of last resort and tariffs should be thoroughly researched and narrowly targeted to minimize unintended impacts on American ports, producers and consumers.”

When reliability matters most, Sun Chief Express delivers. UWL’ s premium flagship service from Southeast Asia to the Pacific Northwest and Canada continues to raise the bar with guaranteed sailings, industry-leading transit times and endto-end execution— especially in today’ s unpredictable market. As global freight networks face disruption— from Red Sea instability to equipment imbalances and ongoing tariff shifts— Sun Chief Express offers a consistent, strategic alternative.

Departing every two weeks from Vietnam, the service reaches Seattle in just 18 days— providing a faster, more reliable connection for shippers sourcing across Southeast Asia. Feeder services from Thailand, Indonesia and Cambodia support diversified regional strategies, all streamlined into a consistent, fixed-day sailing. No blank sailings. No guesswork. Just dependable capacity, backed by new containers, private chassis and a nimble, eco-conscious fleet.

Securing the Pacific Northwest Through strategic partnerships, exclusive terminal access and sister company assets, UWL has established a high-performance gateway in the Pacific Northwest. Owned and operated facilities in Tacoma and Sumner offer drayage, transload and warehousing under one roof. Priority discharge at Seattle’ s Terminal 18( T-18) ensures faster cargo flow— with visibility and control at every step.

Inland connections

UWL’ s IPI network moves freight quickly from Seattle to inland destinations including Memphis, Chicago, Kansas City and Minneapolis. On-dock rail access at T-18 offers additional time savings for dedicated inland destinations. For shipments to Canada, the feeder service to Vancouver ensures cross-border access to Fraser- Surrey for efficient, congestion-free pickup.

Trusted by customers

“ We’ re in constant communication with the Sun Chief team. It’ s a true partnership that helps us manage launch dates and production with confidence,” one customer noted. Another shipper shared,“ When we had a delay at origin, the first thing I did was check the Sun Chief schedule to pivot. That kind of flexibility is what we count on.”

Award-winning performance Sun Chief Express has earned the Cargo Anchor Award and is consistently ranked among the most reliable niche carriers in the trans-Pacific trade. In a world of uncertainty, Sun Chief Express brings premium stability, speed and service you can trust. n

www. shipuwl. com / PNW

62 Journal of Commerce | May 5, 2025 www. joc. com