Washington State is home to a vibrant maritime industry and is working to expand its domain in the international market. Last week the Port of Tacoma commissioners approved a 30-year lease with Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL) on the 90 acre, former Kaiser Aluminum site. WWL, headquartered in Norway, is a global shipping and logistics company serving the manufacturing industry with a special focus on vehicles, mining and construction equipment and machinery. The company has been doing business in the Puget Sound region, maintaining a relationship with the Port of Tacoma for almost 30 years.

Several international breakbulk shipping lines and more than 20 international container carriers provide regular service between the NWSA’s terminals and key markets in Asia, Europe, Central America and Oceania including China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO), Hamburg Sud, Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) and United Arab Shipping Company. Tacoma and Seattle ports are major transshipment points for goods shipped from overseas to the Midwest. Closer to Asia than any other U.S. port, the Greater Seattle region accounts for a majority of U.S. transshipments.  

With the support from the NWSA and the Port of Tacoma, WWL plans to establish a new auto processing facility at the site. WWL will not only help marine cargo business in the Pacific Northwest to grow, but will also create more than 100 new jobs, in addition to the 61 already associated with WWL.