US West Coast ports showed stability amid labor issues as import volumes stayed unaffected

Posted on April 24, 2023   |  

The US West Coast is an essential route for global imports for years, but labor disputes and endless bottlenecks made supply chains doubtful.

However, the lower import volumes, lower dwell times, and labor issues at the ports of LA and Long Beach proved to be petty inconveniences.

The low import volumes decreased labor issues and delays, which let the West Coast better compete with the East Coast with regard to infrastructure investments and performance.

The ratio of US imports reaching West Coast ports is down 40% in 4 of the past six months.

As of April 11, 36% of US import shipments docked at West Coast ports, compared to 42% for H2 2022.

On the contrary, East Coast imports are seeing a 3.3 days average dwell time as of April 11.

Despite the progress in import dwell times, in the 1st few months of 2023, the percentage of over-the-road stops at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach grew by 58.5%.