Editor’s Pick: September U.S. Container Import Volume Drops, but Delays at East and Gulf Coast Ports Remain High

Note: Today’s post is part of our “Editor’s Pick” series where we highlight recent posts published by our sponsors that provide practical knowledge and advice on timely and important supply chain and logistics topics. In this recent post from Descartes’ blog, Chris Jones analyzes September 2022 data related to U.S. ocean ports and import volumes and offers recommendations to help mitigate the pressure of the ongoing global shipping crisis.

U.S. container import volumes in September moved closer to pre-pandemic levels, but the volume decrease did not have a measurable impact on port delays, especially for East and Gulf Coast ports. A number of factors, such as a slowing economy, retailers reducing purchases, inflation and high fuel costs are finally making an impact on U.S. container imports as September volume was a significant adjustment from August and September 2021. Much of the drop was related to a decrease in Chinese imports, which has the greatest impact on the two major West Coast ports. The September update of the logistics metrics Descartes is tracking shows the potential for relief but continues to point to congested and challenging global supply chain performance for the rest of 2022.  

Read More at Descartes’ Blog