The Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC) delegation to the United States led by TIPC Chairman Yung-hui Chou visited Port of Seattle in Washington State on April 11th (Taipei time) together with TECO Seattle Director General May M.C. Lin. The visit, hosted by Port of Seattle Executive Director Steve Metruck, centered around a constructive meeting between TIPC and Port of Seattle’s senior executive team, including Cruise and Maritime Marketing Director Linda Springmann, and International Business Protocol Advisor Karin Zaugg Black.
Both parties expressed shared appreciation for the nearly three-decade sister port relationship between TIPC’s Port of Taichung and the Port of Seattle. In the meeting, they discussed key issues of mutual interest, such as homeport “Fly-Cruise” promotion strategies, green port infrastructure, and the supply chain hub advantages of Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA), with TIPC aiming to draw on Port of Seattle’s outstanding governance and business expertise to further elevate its port operations in Taiwan.
Port of Seattle is the largest cruise ship homeport on the US West Coast. Projections presented at the meeting show that Port of Seattle anticipates 330 cruise calls and two million cruise passengers during the 2026 cruise season. Currently, sixteen cruise ships are homeported in Seattle. This year, the port successfully attracted two new major brands, Virgin Voyages and MSC Cruises. In terms of economic benefit, the cruise ship industry in Seattle is estimated to generate US$1.2 billion in annual business and around 5,200 local jobs.
The TIPC delegation was particularly interested in Port of Seattle’s experience with leveraging the “Fly-Cruise” business model to efficiently handle two million passengers annually. In discussions with Steve Metruck and his marketing team, TIPC Chairman Chou focused specifically on best practices to streamline air-sea connectivity and optimize passenger customs and seamless baggage routing, in hopes of replicating this success in Taiwan to expand the international cruise passenger market.
In terms of green port sustainability and shore power facilities, Port of Seattle currently runs shore power systems at Piers 66, 91, and 5, and has set the ambitious goal of achieving 100% shore power availability for homeport cruise vessels by 2027. In 2024 alone, shore power systems reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 4,000 MT of CO2 equivalent. This achievement demonstrates both environmental commitment and the effectiveness of its management team. Port of Seattle’s dedicated promotion provides an invaluable practical reference for TIPC’s own net zero plans.
In the realm of ocean freight container handling, the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA), a marine cargo operating partnership between the Port of Seattle and Port of Tacoma, has demonstrated a powerful, consolidated hub for international shipping. As the closest US mainland ports to Asia, the NWSA leverages this strategic advantage with 17 regular shipping routes linking to 55 global ports and complemented by 58 weekly international intermodal rail departures. In 2025, the alliance handled over 3.15 million TEUs in containerized cargo and 24.19 million MT of total cargo volume.
TIPC Chairman Chou expressed his sincere gratitude to TECO Seattle Director General May M.C. Lin for her assistance, as well as to Executive Director Steve Metruck and his team for their generous sharing. He noted that the Port of Seattle’s ability to seamlessly integrate the precision scheduling of Fly-Cruise tourism with the supply chain resilience of the NWSA cargo hub, while implementing high-standard green energy infrastructure, is truly admirable. This visit has deepened bilateral port cooperation. As TIPC prepares to celebrate its 15th anniversary next year and the 30th anniversary of the Port of Taichung - Port of Seattle sister port relationship, TIPC will continue to draw on Port of Seattle’s successful experiences, working hand in hand with international shipping partners to build cutting-edge, globally competitive, and sustainable port operations in Taiwan.
Provided by：Harbor Operation Management Dept., TIPC
Contact Person：David Wu, Manager
Telephone No.：886-7-521900 ext.3370
E-mail Address：T03159@twport.com.tw
Image 1. As TIPC delegation head, TIPC Chairman Yung-hui Chou (right) presents commemorative wind turbine model to Port of Seattle Executive Director Steve Metruck (left)
Image 2. At the start of the official tour of Port of Seattle’s cruise terminal facilities
Image 3. Presentation and discussions on Port of Seattle and TIPC port business operations
