Weekly Roundup: Vessel Traffic Slows, Legislative Countdown, and a 90-Day Pause on Tariffs

Good afternoon everyone!

Communications Director Sara here, bringing you this week’s Marine Exchange roundup (Patrick is currently in Hawaii—and yes I can assure you, I’m just as jealous as you are).

It’s been a full week in Washington maritime as always, marked by shifting vessel traffic, ongoing work in Olympia, and a sudden (but for now temporary) pause on some of the international tariff pressure.

Let’s dig in.

Executive Summary

  • Vessel arrivals decreased 19% compared to last week.
  • Patrick Gallagher met with The American Waterways Operators and Sam Hendrickson (Senator Jamie Peterson’s office) this week to educate them on the real-world impacts of the stevedore tax (SB5794) on Washington maritime jobs & operations.
  • Tariffs uncertainty continues: On Wednesday, the Trump Administration announced a 90-day pause on most new tariffs—except those targeting China—raising fresh questions about global trade stability.

Vessel Traffic Snapshot

Category LAST WEEK THIS WEEK % Change
BULK 5 6 20%
CONTAINER 16 14 -13%
GENERAL 1 3 200%
OTHER 1 1 0%
RO/RO 2 3 50%
TANKER 12 7 -42%
TUG/ATB 3 2 -33%
VEHICLES 7 2 -71%

 

Situational Awareness

  • Weather: Mostly cloudy with rain across Western Washington’s marine zones. No significant fog or wind disruptions were reported.
  • Operational Disruptions: A brief power flicker on Tuesday impacted our offices but had no effect on maritime operations or data systems.

Legislative Engagement & Government Affairs

With just 16 days remaining in the regular session, activity in Olympia is accelerating. Budget talks are intensifying as lawmakers face a multi-billion dollar deficit, but it’s been another strong week for the Marine Exchange’s legislative priorities—five of our seven supported bills remain alive and moving.

Key Legislative Deadlines Coming Up
  • April 16 – Opposite House Cutoff
  • April 27 – Scheduled Sine Die Adjournment

Given the unresolved budget deficit, a Special Session is likely after April 27 to finalize a balanced budget.

Technology & Data

  • AIS Network Status: All 7 towers fully operational, >99.9% uptime. The radio in Ellis is temporarily down, but the team is currently working to restore it.
  • System Updates: Ongoing database optimization; no current anomalies or cybersecurity issues

Looking Ahead

  • The Harbor Safety Committee meeting link for May 7th is out and can be found here.
  • We are partnering with the Sea Scouts to get a blog post out about current updates, ongoing work, and funding help.
  • Preparations for the first annual John Ventjeer Youth Maritime Scholarship event are in the works. More information to come, but mark your calendars for June 12th, 4:30-7:30 PM.

Spotlight of the Week: Podcast with Representative Julia Reed

At the end of May Patrick and I had the pleasure of sitting down with Julia Reed, State Representative for the 36th legislative district, to discuss maritime updates for this session, what she is working on, and how maritime community members can stay in touch. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts!

We know there’s a lot of uncertainty right now—on the docks, in Olympia, and across the globe. Like many of you, we’re feeling the weight of it all. But please know this: we’re here. Whether you have questions, ideas, or just want to talk through something, the Marine Exchange is your partner.
We will continue to keep moving forward together.
Have a great weekend, everyone.

Sara Zeman
Communications Director, Marine Exchange of Puget Sound
sara@marexps.com

Weekly Roundup: Vessel Traffic Up, Legislative Crossroads, and “Liberation Day” Disrupts Global Trade

Good afternoon, Mis Amigos Maritimos —

This week at the Marine Exchange of Puget Sound, we observed modest uptick in vessel arrivals (hooray), delivered critical testimony in Olympia (hooray), and closely monitored global trade turbulence (boo) stemming from a bold new economic posture out of Washington, D.C.

Let’s dive into the details:

Executive Summary

  • Vessel arrivals increased 12% overall this week.

  • I testified in opposition to tax increases on stevedoring services (aka Senate Bill 5794).

  • April 2, now coined “Liberation Day,” introduced major shifts in global trade dynamics, with potential ripple effects for Washington’s ports.

Vessel Traffic Snapshot

Across all vessel categories, we saw an increase from 42 to 47 arrivals, led by tankers and container ships. The full breakdown:

Category Last Week This Week % Change
Bulk 7 5 -29%
Container 14 16 +14%
General 1 1 0%
RO/RO 2 2 0%
Tanker 9 12 +33%
Tug/ATB 2 3 +50%
Vehicles 6 7 +17%

Port-specific activity also showed a 20% increase in total dockings, with significant jumps in Cherry Point, Everett, and Olympia. Tacoma saw a slight decrease, while Seattle traffic rose by 27%.

Situational Awareness

  • Weather: Mixed conditions with generally clear skies in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and mild winds.

  • Disruptions: No maritime incidents reported locally.

Legislative Engagement

This week, I drove to Olympia and testified against SB 5794, which would sharply raise the cost of doing business on Washington’s working waterfront. The bill proposes a Public Utility Tax and increases in B&O tax on stevedoring—a move that could disproportionately harm port workers, especially in communities of color.

We remain committed to:

  • Supporting bills that promote maritime workforce development and economic resilience.

  • Opposing policies that add unnecessary burden to vital maritime services.

🎧 Listen to our new podcast episode featuring Reps. Julia Reed (coming next week!) and Greg Nance—discussing legislative priorities, career pathways, and what inspires their service—now live.

Technology & Data

  • Our AIS network remains strong: 100% of towers operational with >99.9% uptime.

  • Ongoing database optimizations continue to streamline ship movement tracking and port performance analytics.

Looking Ahead

  • April 8 marks the Fiscal Committee cutoff—a key moment in this year’s legislative calendar.

  • We’re finalizing participation in the ECHO Southern Resident Killer Whale Slowdown Program.

  • Preparing for the Harbor Safety Committee meeting on May 7—agenda to be released soon.

Spotlight: “Liberation Day” & Global Trade

April 2, 2025, now dubbed “Liberation Day,” saw the implementation of sweeping new tariffs under the Trump Administration—both blanket and targeted. While the immediate effects are still unfolding, early market indicators reflect volatility and uncertainty.

Washington’s maritime economy sits at a critical juncture. We are monitoring:

  • Freight rate fluctuations

  • Port call patterns

  • Trade index movements

Insights shared at this week’s joint Seattle/Tacoma Transportation Club meeting with the Federal Reserve were valuable—though no direct forecasts were given, the message was clear: flexibility and preparedness are more vital than ever.

Stay informed. Stay connected. And as always, thank you for your partnership in keeping our maritime gateway efficient, resilient, and future-ready.

– The Marine Exchange of Puget Sound

Port Pulse: March 21, 2025 — Maritime Insights from the Watch Floor to the Capitol

lighthouse in fog

In a session shaped by fog on the water and foggier politics in Olympia, the Marine Exchange remains steady on course — committed to clarity, coordination, and context. Friends, there is A LOT happening including Seattle City Council voting 6-3 against the maritime industry and the preservation of industrial lands. Also, the Puyallup Tribe announced an agreement with the NW Seaport Alliance to develop a new terminal. This is great news that we needed.

As spring arrives in Puget Sound, so too does a changing tide in vessel traffic, port dynamics, and legislative strategy. This week’s snapshot offers insight into what’s happening on the water, in Olympia, and behind the screens of our AIS network. Here’s what stood out:

Summary

Vessel arrivals declined 27% from last week, driven primarily by a sharp drop in bulk carriers. Although bulkers display seasonal trends, this remains outside what we’d normally see, and I’m just not sure exactly what is happening in this category.

AIS network operations continue to exceed expectations, and we’re making enhancements to both our hardware (removing one piece in the chain) and software. On the policy front, budget issues now dominate Olympia, but maritime bills are still making meaningful progress.

National news for the maritime industry remains sour and uncertain. The Federal Reserve kept rates flat which stoked fears of stagflation. If you remember your Econ 101, stagflation is the worst of all worlds heralding suppressed growth and elevated unemployment. This is an economic condition that is very difficult to overcome and generally considered worse than recession.

Situational Awareness

  • Weather Impacts: Fog persisted early in the week, causing minor pilot boarding delays at Cape Flattery and within VTS Puget Sound.
  • Disruptions: None reported. A quiet week operationally.
  • Tariffs and Trade: Although new USTR fees on Chinese-flagged ships are anticipated, it hasn’t been long enough to properly gauge impacts to Washinton maritime.

Maritime Operations and Coordination

  • VTS Continuity Planning: We participated in discussions with USCG Sector Puget Sound to explore backup capabilities using our watch floor.
  • Pilotage Software Integration: Continued collaboration around Portlink and dynamic routing data.
  • NOAA Sanctuary Contract: Monitoring project is temporarily delayed due to federal budget uncertainties.
  • Podcast Guest Update: Sara told me not to tell! We have 3 new guests lined up, and we’re really stoked to bring them on the Maritime Morning Brief. Stay tuned!!

Technology and Data

  • AIS Network: All 7 towers fully operational with >99.9% uptime.
  • Platform Optimization: Database improvements underway to enhance query speeds and reduce storage load. If you receive any of our reports, you won’t notice anything different – it’s sort of like doing foundation work on your house when what you really want to do is paint the living room.
  • Cybersecurity: No threats or anomalies detected this week.

Legislative Insights: Maritime Still Afloat Amid Budget Storm

After a frenzied House of Origin cutoff week, Olympia has entered a more measured pace. The House passed over 1,000 bills to the Senate; the Senate returned just 250. This gives Senate bills a fighting chance in House committees spread across 20+ policy areas.

However, the newly released state budget forecast casts a long shadow: a $17 billion shortfall means painful cuts and potential new taxes are likely. Many bills will quietly die as attention shifts to balancing the books.

That said, 5 of the 7 bills supported by the Marine Exchange of Puget Sound are still alive:

  • SB 5191: Dockworker paid leave – executive session scheduled in House Labor Committee.
  • HB 1167: Maritime career education – advanced in Senate committee.
  • HB 1414: Broader access to CTE – heard 3/19.
  • HB 1264: Ferry collective bargaining – heard 3/17.
  • SB 5281: Nonresident vessel permit reform – heard 3/13.

Two bills we supported are likely dead:

  • SB 5059 (Washington State Ferries captains): Moved to Senate Rules “X” file.
  • SB 5248 (Bridge collision working group): Missed cutoff.

And one we opposed — HB 1689, targeting unrealistic berth emissions standards — is officially dead for now.

We’re watching the April 2 policy committee cutoff and April 8 fiscal committee cutoff. Bills marked “Necessary to Implement the Budget” (NTIB) can still survive, even if deadlines pass.

Spotlight of the Week: The Trouble With Triple-Digit Trends

This week, we saw headlines claiming a 700% increase in tanker traffic. It’s a perfect example of period bias — using extreme endpoints to manufacture an alarming stat. That said, without the underlying dataset and math, I’ve trained myself to automatically reject 231% of all triple-digit assertions.

As stewards of maritime data, we encourage stakeholders to challenge dramatic figures, demand context, and resist spin. Transparency matters more than virality.

Looking Ahead

  • NOAA Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary: Project update meeting held Friday
  • Meeting with Marine Exchange of Alaska + Port of Seattle this week
  • MAREXPS Podcast episode drops next week