US West Coast ports took a big hit in terms of import share during the post-pandemic surge as importers fled congestion and delays. But now the stars are aligning in the opposite direction. Substantial tailwinds are gathering that could, at least in the near term, dramatically boost West Coast share. Import volumes could easily reach unprecedented levels. The question is, will the supply chain — the ports, chassis providers, dray carriers and railroads — be able to handle it?
Looking at Los Angeles-Long Beach in particular, the long-term trend of declining market share is well known. The descending trend is clearly visible in the import share chart, especially when looking at the six-month moving average trend (gold line). Import share was above 39% back in 2008. Although the region’s import share has recovered from the depths of 2022, most recently it was still slightly under 32%.
Information from: Larry Gross, president and founder, Gross Transportation Consulting, and Journal of Commerce analyst | Jan 8, 2024, 11:45 AM EST
Gross, L. (2024, January 8). Market aligning to trigger import surge on US West Coast: analyst | Journal of Commerce. Joc.com. https://www.joc.com/article/market-aligning-trigger-import-surge-us-west-coast-analyst_20240108.html