A busy summer for US Ports
NewsSC Ports, the Port of New York and New Jersey and the Port of Oakland release figures for July and June.
Oakland looking for boxes
With a tentative agreement for a new labour contract providing confidence, “hopes are that cargo is more likely to return to U.S. West Coast ports,” says the Port of Oakland.
The Port of Oakland saw its container volume drop 26.5% in June 2023 to 120,433 TEU, down from 163,901 TEU in June 2022.
“Importers continue to send cargo to East Coast and Gulf Coast ports,” the port said. “This was in response to the uncertainty of labor negotiations between the International Longshoremen and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and Pacific Maritime Association (PMA). Now that an agreement has recently been reached, hopes are that cargo is more likely to return to U.S. West Coast ports.”
“Although cargo has begun to return to the West Coast, weak consumer demand and high inventory levels continue to be headwinds to volume recovery,” said Port of Oakland Maritime Director Bryan Brandes. “However, operational improvements, the return to normalcy, and the settlement of labor contracts create an opportunity for us to gain a greater market share of containerised cargo.”
The tentative agreement has not yet been ratified by the ILWU full membership, but the port said the port is running smoothly. “Ships are now spending 24-48 hours in port on average, which is comparable to the pre-pandemic average stay at Oakland. The return to smoother running maritime operations creates more efficiency for the recovery of Oakland’s container volume.”
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