# Tacoma (US TIW)

**UN/LOCODE:** US TIW  
**Country:** United States  
**Water Body:** Alaska-Canada coastal waters; North Pacific Ocean  
**Harbor Size:** Medium  
**Harbor Type:** Coastal (Natural)  
**GPS:** 47.2833, -122.4167

Husky Terminal & Stevedoring, Washington United Terminals and Pierce County Terminal give Tacoma (US TIW) its container capacity, with channel depths above 20 metres for large post-Panamax ships. Since 2015 the port has pooled its cargo business with Seattle in the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA), one of North America's largest container gateways, which handled about 3.34 million TEU in 2024, up 12 percent on 2023. That momentum reversed in 2026: NWSA moved roughly 228,000 units in January 2026, down 13.9 percent year on year, after importers front-loaded shipments in early 2025 ahead of US tariff increases. Around 70 percent of import boxes leave by rail on BNSF and Union Pacific for the Midwest and US East Coast, served by an on-dock intermodal yard. The port also handles automobiles, breakbulk and project cargo, and dry bulk. Terminal charges, storage and accessorials are set out in the joint NWSA Tariff No. 300 covering Seattle's North Harbor and Tacoma's South Harbor, which is where shippers should check demurrage exposure before booking. Customs and import clearance run through US Customs and Border Protection, and Tacoma is a scheduled call for major transpacific lines. Its position deep in Puget Sound shortens the great-circle route to Northeast Asia compared with Californian ports. For southern-California-bound freight, Los Angeles/Long Beach remain the obvious alternative, with Vancouver to the north.

## Transit Times & Routes

- [Los Angeles → Shanghai](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/los-angeles-shanghai)
- [Los Angeles → Shenzhen](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/los-angeles-shenzhen)
- [Los Angeles → Guangzhou](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/los-angeles-guangzhou)
- [Los Angeles → Hong Kong](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/los-angeles-hong-kong)
- [Los Angeles → Tokyo](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/los-angeles-tokyo)
- [Los Angeles → Busan](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/los-angeles-busan)

---

*Freight Academy — Seaport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/tacoma-port-us-tiw](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/tacoma-port-us-tiw)*

*Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/seaports/en/tacoma-port-us-tiw](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/seaports/en/tacoma-port-us-tiw)*

*LLM-Summary (JSON): https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/seaports/tacoma-port-us-tiw/llm-summary?lang=en*