US west coast container ports are continuing to bear the full brunt of the consumer spending collapse in North America with the port of Tacoma the latest to announce job cuts.

"We don''t yet know the scope of the job reductions," a port spokesman told IFW.

Bulk, breakbulk and automobile volumes through the port have continued to contract this year and container volumes fell almost 15% year-on-year in the first quarter to 379,173teu.

However, the spokesman said the decline was "significantly less than our west coast competitors."

With capacity becoming available up and down the west coast as trade volumes fall, and Maersk recently announcing it would be moving some west coast services to the port of Seattle, further container throughput declines were likely and the port admitted many lines will fail to meet their annual minimum cargo volume guarantees this year.