Economy
Why Seattle and Tacoma, Maritime Rivals, Merged Their Ports
Faced with the negotiating power of global shipping giants, the ports 32 miles apart decided to join together—and train up the workforce they’ll both need.
In the annals of local economic development strategies, cooperating with your closest competitor might rank among the more Herculean tasks of local politicians. But that’s exactly what the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, Washington, managed to pull off a few years ago.
Facilities nestled in the picturesque waters of Puget Sound—Seattle to the north, Tacoma to the south—had long jostled with each other for the business of big, ocean-going ships. So in 2015, they created the Northwest Seaport Alliance, a company that now runs two harbors under one aegis.