In spite of supply chain challenges, imports at the nation’s major shipping container ports are expected to be at near-record levels this spring through summer as consumer demand continues.
Although port volume is maintaining impressive levels, retailers should plan for the possibility of additional disruptions this summer should West Coast labor contract negotiations break down. The current contract between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association expires on July 1.
The first six months of 2022 are expected to total 13.1 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU), which is one 20-foot container or its equivalent. This volume is an increase of 2.4 percent year-over-year. Imports for all of 2021 totaled 25.8 million TEU, which was a 17.4 percent increase over 2020’s 22 million TEU, a record high set despite the pandemic.
