|
IN January 2024, there was a notable 7.9 per cent increase in US container import volume compared to December 2023, marking the most significant month-to-month growth for January in the past seven years, reports Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide.
The surge was driven by a 14.9 per cent rise in imports from China, with the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach being the major beneficiaries.
However, the combined effects of the Panama drought and the Middle East conflict are beginning to impact transit times, leading to substantial delays at key east and Gulf coast ports.
Descartes, in its February logistics metrics update, indicates an accelerated container import volume, raising concerns about potential disruptions to the global supply chain throughout 2024 due to conditions at the Panama and Suez Canals and upcoming labour negotiations.
In January 2024, US container import volumes reached 2,273,125 TEU, reflecting a 7.9 per cent increase from December 2023.
Compared to January 2023, TEU volume was up 9.9 per cent, and it rose 9.6 per cent from the pre-Covid crisis levels of January 2019.
Over the past six years, variations in import volume between December and January ranged from small declines to substantial increases.
However, the 7.9 per cent month-over-month growth in January 2024 stands out as the highest in the last seven years.
Among the top 10 US ports, container import volume in January 2024 saw a significant increase of 149,906 TEU (up 8.4 per cent) compared to December 2023.
The Port of Los Angeles (77,085 TEU) and Long Beach (48,054 TEU) recorded the most substantial volume increases, while the ports of Houston (down 6,042 TEU) and Charleston (down 4,331 TEU) experienced the largest decreases.
Chinese imports in January also witnessed a notable surge, increasing 14.9 per cent over December 2023 to reach 905,173 TEU.
This narrowed the gap to 9.8 per cent from the August 2022 high.
The top commodity codes responsible for this increase include furniture, bedding etc, plastics and articles thereof and boilers, machinery etc.
China accounted for 39.8 per cent of the total US container imports in December, showing a 2.4 per cent increase from the previous month but still down 1.7 per cent from the high in February 2022, marking the highest percentage of US imports in two years.
For the top 10 countries of origin, US container import volume in January 2024 increased 9.6 per cent (146,240 TEU) from the previous month.
China had the most significant volume increase (117,084 TEU), while Germany (down 2,851 TEU) experienced the largest volume decrease.
https://www.shippingazette.com/menu.asp?encode=eng
|
Back:
Next:
