A major gateway to Asia and Alaska, the Port of Tacoma is a leading North American seaport, handling more than $36 billion in annual trade and nearly 2 million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent container Units) in 2008. The Port is the seventh largest container port in North America. The Port is also a major center for bulk, breakbulk and project and heavy-lift cargoes, as well as automobiles and medium-duty trucks.  Located on Commencement Bay – a natural, deep-water harbor in Southern Puget Sound – the Port of Tacoma is an independent municipal corporation that operates under state-enabling legislation. Created by Pierce County citizens in 1918, the Port has 2,400 acres (972 hectares) that are used for shipping terminal activity and warehouse, distributing, and manufacturing.
Outstanding intermodal operations, connections to two transcontinental railroads and easy access to Interstate 5, Interstate 90, SR 509 and SR 167 make the Port an ideal location for warehouse and distribution activities. More than 70 percent of the Port’s international import container cargo heads east via rail to major markets, such as Chicago, Indianapolis, New York and Boston. |
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