The Northwest Seaport Alliance celebrates 50 years of Mazda vehicles moving through the Seattle/Tacoma gateway

For more than five decades, Mazda vehicles have been imported through the Seattle and Tacoma gateway. The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) recognizes Mazda’s distinct history in the Pacific Northwest dating back to April 14, 1970, when the first Mazda vehicle was imported into the Pacific Northwest through Seattle. Nearly a decade later Mazda vehicles started being imported through Tacoma making Mazda the longest standing automobile customer in Tacoma.

Mazda’s commitment to moving vehicles through Seattle and Tacoma has benefitted the entire region. To date, 1.9 million Mazda’s have been imported through the NWSA gateway making them not only a key customer, but an honored partner in the automobile business that strategically diversifies cargo movement at the NWSA.

The Mazda business is an important job creator for the Pacific Northwest region. Each Mazda vessel call creates an average of 40-45 longshore labor jobs. Additional jobs are created down the supply chain in finished vehicle processing as well as rail and truck transportation to the vehicles’ final destination.

“The Northwest Seaport Alliance is proud to call Mazda a partner and appreciates the many decades of working together. We look forward to celebrating the two-millionth Mazda vehicle to be imported into our gateway very soon” stated The Northwest Seaport Alliance Co-Chair and Port of Seattle Commission President Ryan Calkins.

The Rich History of Mazda in Seattle & Tacoma

• Mazda began importing to the Pacific Northwest via Seattle in 1970.
  
• Mazda vehicles are the longest-standing automobile to be imported through Tacoma.
  
• Mazda was the first automobile customer to utilize Tacoma’s Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) in 1983.
  
• In 2004, the one-millionth Mazda vehicle moved through the Tacoma and the NWSA is very close to reaching the two-millionth Mazda milestone.