Seattle, United States
Sea freight in Seattle
We book FCL and LCL sea freight for shippers and consignees in Seattle, via Northwest Seaport Alliance. Pre-carriage, on-carriage by road or rail and the customs entries are planned together with the ocean booking.
Airports, seaports and connections in Seattle
- AirportSeattle-Tacoma
SEA - SeaportNorthwest Seaport AllianceSeattle and Tacoma
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is the main air cargo airport of the Pacific Northwest, with freighter and widebody connections across the Pacific to Asia and over the pole to Europe. King County International Airport, better known as Boeing Field (BFI), and Paine Field (PAE) in Everett are closely tied to aircraft manufacturing. By sea, the ports of Seattle and Tacoma operate their container business jointly as the Northwest Seaport Alliance, which is one of the main US gateways for trade with Asia and the main supply route to Alaska.
I-5 runs north-south through Seattle and Tacoma towards Vancouver and Portland, I-90 leads east across the Cascades, and I-405 and SR 167 serve the warehouse areas in the Kent Valley south of the city. BNSF and Union Pacific provide intermodal rail service from the Seattle and Tacoma terminals to the Midwest, so sea containers from Asia can continue inland without being trucked across the mountains.
Operational logistics facts for Seattle
| Hub | Specialisation | Local advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) | Freighter and widebody service to Asia and Europe | Short great-circle routes across the North Pacific |
| Northwest Seaport Alliance (Seattle and Tacoma) | FCL/LCL containers to and from Asia, Alaska trade | Container gateway with intermodal rail to the Midwest |
| Paine Field (PAE) and Boeing Field (BFI) | Aircraft manufacturing and aerospace logistics | Close to assembly sites for urgent aircraft parts |
| Kent Valley warehouse district (SR 167 / I-405) | Distribution for the Pacific Northwest | Short trucking between airport, port and warehouses |
Industries in Seattle and how we support them
The Seattle region is a centre of commercial aircraft manufacturing, with large assembly sites in Everett and Renton and a wide supplier base. It is also home to major e-commerce and software companies and to a seafood industry that processes and ships catches from Alaska and the North Pacific. We support these supply chains with air freight under our own air waybills via SEA, Next Flight Out and On-Board Courier for aircraft parts and AOG situations, temperature-controlled transport for seafood, and FCL and LCL sea freight through the Northwest Seaport Alliance. Customs data is prepared before the cargo arrives.
FCL and LCL via Northwest Seaport Alliance
Full containers are booked directly with the shipping line; for smaller volumes we use LCL consolidation services. Pre-carriage from Seattle to Northwest Seaport Alliance, or on-carriage after arrival, is arranged by road or rail as part of the same booking.
Customs clearance in the United States
Ziem network
Customs clearance in the United States is handled by a partner team in the Ziem network, under the Ziem Logistics brand and to our procedures.
For air freight to and from the United States we issue our own air waybills.
Importers in the United States need an importer of record number and, for most formal entries, a customs bond.
Frequently asked questions
Which port is used for sea freight to and from Seattle?
Usually Northwest Seaport Alliance. Depending on the shipping line and the destination, another port can be faster or more economical; we compare the options when quoting.