- And some expect the situation to deteriorate further.
- The migration of imports from Asia to the east coast gained impetus in recent months from fears of disruption in the west from contract negotiations between longshoremen and terminal operators, due to start next month.
- MSC informed customers this month it would temporarily stop calling at the port of Charleston on its route to South Asia because of extended wait times.
Importers in the United States must be playing a game of whack-a-mole as reported by The Loadstar.
Delays getting worse
In response to congestion and concerns over likely further disruption at west coast gateways, many shifted some imports from Asia to the east coast – only to find congestion there getting worse than on the Pacific coast.
So, importers on the east coast are now waiting longer to get their cargo, reports MarineTraffic, citing median wait times of less than four days at Los Angeles and under two days at Long Beach, but nine-10 days at Charleston and three-four days at Norfolk.
Bob Imbriani, VP of international services at Team Worldwide, said: “It has slowly been getting worse and has been sporadic, but is starting to become a major concern.
We have seen the delays expanding by several days.”
And some expect the situation to deteriorate further.
The migration of imports from Asia to the east coast gained impetus in recent months from fears of disruption in the west from contract negotiations between longshoremen and terminal operators, due to start next month.
Rising box traffic
However, the likelihood of a strike or shut-out in California is relatively low, given the potential financial fall-out for carriers and the pressure on the union from the administration to avoid disruption, reckons Craig Grossgart, SVP global ocean at Seko Logistics.
MSC informed customers this month it would temporarily stop calling at the port of Charleston on its route to South Asia because of extended wait times.
And a growing number of importers and forwarders have swivelled from the east coast to the Gulf of Mexico.
Houston’s Asian container volumes are bound to climb further.
However, established players in Texas are getting nervous about rising box traffic.
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Source: The Loadstar
