North American ports are moving in opposite directions. West Coast port traffic is declining. East Coast port traffic is growing.
In its latest report, Sea Intelligence points out that the East Coast ports recorded a year-on-year growth in imports of between 4% and 11% in the third quarter. Exports are also up; traffic has been increasing consistently since September. This includes empty containers, with a +17/20% growth rate, compared to 2019 figures.
The consultancy firm stresses how there continues to be an exodus of containers from west coast ports to east coast ones. This is the result of a trend that started during the pandemic, when waiting times for ships calling at west coast ports reached an all-time high, prompting companies to prefer eastern ports to avoid long delays.
Although congestion problems are now gradually coming to an end, strikes looming over US west coast port quays due to the non-renewal of long overdue labour contracts continues to fuel this ongoing traffic shift trend.
Translation by Giles Foster
