Oakland down 1%

News 5 Jul 2022 by WCN Editorial

Import containers increased in May, but overall container numbers dropped 1% to 224,299 TEU.

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The Port of Oakland had good news to report in its May container statistics: import boxes rose 6.7% year-on-year to 98,798 TEU. In fact May was the strongest month for import containers so far in 2022, topping the 94,271 TEU handled in March.

On the export side, where the port has put a lot of effort into working with government agencies to develop incentives to reduce costs and improve container availability, full exports hit 75,067 TEU in May 2022. This is a just a 0.5% increase on May 2021, but significantly ahead of the 65,834 TEU of export boxes the port loaded in April 2022.

Oakland’s cargo handling performance in May was dragged down by a step drop in empty container numbers, falling from 59,122 TEU in May 2021 to 50,442 TEU in May 2022.

Commenting on the result the port “expressed satisfaction with the result given major challenges at other ports that slow cargo arrival in Oakland. The issues include lockdowns and congestion at upstream ports and ships arriving off-schedule due to delays in the supply chain elsewhere”.

“We are very appreciative of our customers who continue to ship via Oakland even during the difficult times,” said Port of Oakland Maritime Director Bryan Brandes. “The boost of import cargo volume in May is an encouraging sign for our seaport.”

Oakland received 71 vessel calls in May, compared to 69 in April. It attributed the increase to “restoration of some vessel services in May that were previously suspended to shore up shipping line schedules.”

Looking ahead, Oakland said the overall volume outlook is uncertain in the second half of 2022. “Import demand is in question due to building inventories in the U.S. and concerns over inflation. As routes are restored at Oakland, there’s more opportunity for American exporters to find vessel space for their cargo destined for overseas markets,” the port concluded.