port

By now you've probably not only heard the term port congestion, you've gotten sick of hearing it.  Unfortunately, it's still a reality and a Project44 analysis of the sailing schedules of various shipping lines indicates that cargo delays could last well into the summer. As the rebound in shipping volumes reached new highs in 2021, carriers found themselves contending with a growing number of impediments to schedule integrity. Port congestion was the primary cause distorting sailing schedules as ships wait to unload. On the U.S. West Coast, dwell times in April 2021 (measured from vessel arrival until container gate-out) continued to be lasting over a week. Last week, the Port of Los Angeles reported that it was making significant progress reducing the number of vessels waiting at anchorage for terminal space, but forecast that volumes will remain strong into the summer before an anticipated increase as retailers increase shipments to build inventories for sales in the fall