US Import Volumes Down Over 20% On Last Year

Import container trade into US ports is continuing to decline, as a report on its top 10 ports confirmed a 21% drop last month compared to the same period last year.

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According to The Loadstar, import containers arriving through the country's top 10 US ports dropped to 1.7m teu last month, with Los Angeles the worst impacted.

The Port of Los Angeles recently confirmed that it has been running at 70% of its usual capacity, which they blame on more than just the economic downturn. A long standing dispute with unions over the renewal of port labour contracts continues to raise fears of strikes, which they believe has also led to its downturn in business.

Since the pandemic, Los Angeles and other West Coast ports have lost significant traffic to ports on the East and Gulf Coasts, due to the severe congestion it was experiencing. The port believe that the threat of potential industrial action has prevented much of that business returning.

Los Angeles is now being challenged by the Port of New York and New Jersey for the accolade of being the busiest US port. In April, its East Coast rival was only 12,000 teu below the import volume recorded by LA.

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